Allison's rise in Olympic windsurfing class
Friday, 7 Jul, 2006
Allison has started her Olympic preparation with increased success over the past few months. Two titles won early in the year, the Oceanic and South American Championships were stepping stones to the European tour to come. Allison started training full time on the new RS:X Olympic board in April after she won the Formula European Championships in Portimao (Portugal). With only 5 days training on the board she competed in the Holland regatta, a grade 1 ISAF event. After some light and tricky winds, she finished mid fleet.
One week later after more training and testing, Allison went to Turkey to compete in the RS:X European Championships, the 2nd largest Olympic class event of the year. After solid top 10 results all week she just dropped out of the top 10 on the final day of racing to 13th just missing out on the medal race.
A lingering viral infection in the lungs had taken its toll, however Allison moved onto Kiel in Germany where she finished in 5th place in the Grade 1 fleet.
A hectic schedule ahead sees Allison attending Fuerteventura and then Turkey next week for the PWA World Tour and IFCA World Slalom Championships before she heads home for one week. Allison will continue her preparation for the Olympic trials in August at the Pre Olympics test event in Qingdao, China, where only two athletes per country will compete at the Olympic venue.
The next day Allison will contest the Formula World Championships in Korea where she hopes to defend her World title.
Finally Allison will finish a huge season with the RS:X World championships in Italy one week later where she hopes to place well to qualify Australia to be eligible to compete in the 2008 Olympics.
"I know I have a lot on my plate over the next few months with the five most important events all back to back in four different time zones! I'm confident I will do well because of my preparation earlier this year, and I am really happy with my equipment and the way I'm sailing right now".
