Nancy Rios Olympic Campaign Beijing 2008

Post Olympic Update.

2008-11-13T13:32:00.013-05:00

Hi all,

Welcome back to my blog!

I didn't realize how long it has been since I've posted anything . It seems like time has been flying by far too quickly. After the Olympics, it was hard to make new plans and make changes in my life right away, but with time and motivation everything seemed to come together.My latest aspirations and adventures include going back to college ,a part time job, a trip to Singapore & Thailand and a puppy!

First off, I know all of you are anxious to hear about my plans with Olympic windsurfing, so I'll start out with that.

As far as doing a 2012 Olympic campaign, I decided it was best to put my focus back on my studies and take full advantage of my scholastic scholarship I earned a few years ago. So for now,
no more RSX training camps, no more traveling to events, and no more RSX competitions. The decision was bittersweet and I think a lot of people were expecting me to do it again. I decided I had other things that I wanted to pursue and a campaign was not something I had in mind (at least for now : ).The Olympics and my 2008 campaign have become a special part of my life . I will always be an Olympian and an ambassador to the sport and the country. That's something I can cherish for a lifetime and I thank you all again for your unwavering support.

In the spring of 2009 I will be attending Miami Dade College pursuing a degree in Nursing. During my first semester I will be taking mostly preselect courses for acceptance into the Nursing program and apply later in May.I'm actually quite nervous to go back to school, since the last time I was in college was 3 years ago, but everyone assures me that it will all come back to me. We'll see...

As for a job, I am now working at Sailboards Miami located on Rickenbacker causeway owned by Ovidio DeLeon. Ovi has been a great friend and mentor to me throughout these past years. I am more that grateful for the opportunity he has given me and it's a great place to work ,right under the sun and on the water. I have always enjoyed teaching others to windsurf. Windsurfing has brought so much happiness in my life and I am happy to share it with others on the water.At Sailboards Miami there is something for everyone ; you can learn to windsurf, ride a kayak, paddle a board and even rent a windsurfer. So if you are in the area, come on by and check us out!

In December I will be going to Singapore and Thailand for the holidays with my boyfriend Sean. It's been a long awaited vacation that we are both looking forward to. We will be celebrating the Christmas holidays and the New Year of 2009 in Singapore, so we are very excited.

And of course, our puppy Brian! I got a Boxer puppy about a month ago, he is 4 months old and a total cutie! I've had dogs all my life and I've been wanting one of my own for such a long time. He is a big goofball! He loves everyone and has been such a good puppy, we are very lucky to have him.

So that's about it. That's what I've been up to and I always have more to share. My next post will be about the exciting things I got to do after the Olympics, which include a baseball pitch,a visit to the White House and a City of Miami recognition.

Thank you all for your time and I hope you enjoy this new part of my blog.

Until next time!

Nancy Rios
2008 Olympian
2008 US Sailing Team -RSX Women
riosnad@yahoo.com

2008-08-29T04:13:00.001-04:00

Check out some new photos from the Olympic Games under My Photos link on the top left side of this page, or go to http://picasaweb.google.com/riosnad.

Enjoy!

2008-08-26T09:38:00.005-04:00

Hi all - (Sorry about the late updates, enjoy!)

On August 23rd the team flew up to Beijing for our last two days in

China

at the Olympic Village. On the 23rd we had a team dinner at the USA House and had a great time enjoying these last moments together. After dinner some of my teammates and I got tickets to the women’s gold medal basketball game, and we watched USA defeat the Australians! It was a great game and just awesome to see our girls play and win the gold!!

The next day (Aug 24th) we had closing ceremony in the evening & spent the day at some more final games. First we went to the men’s volleyball gold medal game between USA and Brazil, and our men took it home! It was a very exciting game and fun to cheer on our players.
Afterwards we rushed to the basketball stadium and watched the men’s basketball gold medal game between USA and

Spain

, it was getting pretty competitive even in the cheering zones and the game was outstanding. What an amazing rush to see these guys play! I was very proud to be supporting the US team among other athletes and we all cheered as loud as we could.

At 6:45 pm the entire

USA

delegation gathered, dressed in our Polo Ralph Lauren team apparel we made our way to the birds nest stadium for closing ceremony.

Closing was another amazing event; the performances, the crown and the mingling of the athletes were among the best parts of the night. As we walked through the tunnel into the stadium, we stood among the rest of the nations and enjoyed the show.

Scott Weiss (our team physiotherapist) and I walked around the four separate areas of nations, took pictures with several countries, traded pins and had a moment to sit back and take it all in. It was truly special, and something I can't find words to describe.

The event was spectacular all together and it marked the closing of my Olympic Games experience. I have to admit that it was very sad to leave the ceremony and the village yesterday and all of us were both sad to leave but happy to come home to share it with friends and family.

Yesterday as I made the trip back home, I tried to write down special moments down so I wouldn't forget. I found myself having a hard time finding the words to describe the feelings that I experience and really how special this entire experience has been. As I look back from the start. We had an outstanding team and supported each other through everything. I respect every one of our team members and applaud them for their accomplishments. We all raced hard, had good and bad days and were proud to represent our country in the sport of sailing. My results in the end didn't improve much, and I have to move away from that. As I think of what a great accomplishment and opportunity this has been, I know I raced the best I could, and that's all I can give. At 20 yrs of age, I have plenty of opportunities to make the Olympic Team again; I’ll take with me what I learned from this experience and use it to my advantage for the next time I race. Whether I make the Olympic Team again or not, I will cherish this experience and these Olympic Games forever!

I am very proud and happy for Anna Tunnicliffe and Zach Railey, our two medalists & honored to have had the opportunity to share this experience with them. It is very inspiring to see them succeed at their goals and it just reminds me again how special this journey has been.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have supported & shared this experience with me. Without your support, I would have never made it this far and it has been a pleasure sharing it with you.
I'm so happy to be back in the U.S.A, it feels good to be home! In the next few days, I will be sharing as much as I can with as many people as I can, including all my friends, supporters and family.

Thank you all for everything and stay tuned for more updates and photos in a couple of days.

2008-08-20T07:22:00.000-04:00

2008-08-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

2008-08-19T21:18:00.001-04:00

Hi all -

Today was the end of the opening series races for the RSX womens class and tomorrow the top ten in the class will battle it out for the medals.Today I finished in 22cnd place in Race 10 ,I was happy to have a better result today and tried no to be so hard on myself with the final results.As I look back at the regatta, I wish I could rewind and make better decisions, but it's done and in the end I put the bad moments behind me, and enjoyed the good moments.

Overall I feel like I've had a great experience and learned a lot. It has been an incredible opportunity to compete with the best in the world and something I will cherish for a lifetime.Four years ago I never though that this sport could bring me all the way to the Olympics. I tried my best and fought hard, but I realize that I still have a lot to learn.Most of my mistakes on the water were made on the start line, and making wrong tactical decisions, which in time I will learn not to make. It's been hard to be in the back of the fleet and triying to catch up all the time, but I think that's what it will takes to get better. In the end I know I raced my best and did all I could to represent my country well and that is all anyone can want.

Thank you all for supporting me throughout this journey, it has been a great accomplishment and something I will have with me forever!

These next few days, I will spend cheering my teammates on with their last races and just enjoying the last bit of this Olympic journey.
On the 23rd, I fly to Beijing for the closing ceremony on the 24th and fly home on the 25th.

I'll keep you updated on anything exciting I do, otherwise ,see you at home soon!!

Nancy Rios

2008-08-16T07:28:00.001-04:00

Hi All-

Today was another uneventful day for the RSX fleet, no racing.

Since the 49er class shared course B with us, they sailed 3 races first , we waited for a while,I stayed cool in the container and tried to keep my mind ready for racing at any moment. Then, at 3pm the committee called us out on the water, I warmed up for the race, checked on what the breeze was doing and was ready for some good pumping, but the breeze didn't settle and racing was called off for the day. Tomorrow we are scheduled to start at 12 noon.Looks like some stormy weather is headed our way for early tomorrow morning, we'll see if the winds stick around or if the storm shuts down all the breeze, hopefully we'll have some planning races and have some fun!!

It's getting really exciting to see my teammates battle it out for the medal races, I really look up to all of them and I wish them the best for tomorrow!!

Go Team USA!!

2008-08-13T05:59:00.003-04:00

Had to remove the photo, sorry.

Nancy

Olympics-Race day two.

2008-08-12T08:36:00.001-04:00

Hi all-

Racing these past two days has definitely been hard, but very beneficial.I try to go into every race with a positive attitude and a clean slate. Although yesterday I had a rough day, today I improved and I am very happy with even a little progress on the race course. I was able to get a good start and round 4th at the first mark and 6th at the second mark, I did loose a lot of boards on the next two legs but fought hard every minute!
The second race was a whole other story, one mistake leads to another and you know how that goes, but I finished the race feeling like I gained something out of today and that is exactly what I need.
I have set my own goals for this regatta and right now that is to improve little by little and gain as much as I can out of the great boardsailors I am competing against.My coaches told me today "you have to taste a little first before you can have it all" Many of the girls I am competing against are every experienced and this sport takes years to excel at. The level is high and for those like me who have the least experience it takes a little more than talent.

Today is gone , and tomorrow is another day. I am proud to be representing the USA here in China and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Tomorrow is my day off, and I will get some much needed rest for Thursday's races.
One day at a time.Go Team USA, cheer for our racers tomorrow, as the days have been hard in Qingdao.

You guys are the best fans!! Keep the emails & blog comments coming , I really appreciate the good thoughts.

Nancy Rios

2008-08-11T06:36:00.001-04:00

Hi all-

Today was my first race in Qingdao and unfortunately started out very frustrating . Overall, I had big problems with my pumping technique upwind. Competing against the best in the world it has been a lot of pressure, but I am working one day at a time. I was really upset coming off the water , but I think that I just need to let it go and move on, tomorrow is another day and I will work towards improving.

I wish I had more to say, but right now I need to work on getting over a rough day!
Thank you all for all the emails of support!!

Talk you soon-Nancy Rios.

2008-08-07T04:18:00.002-04:00

Olympics: Naples High graduate Rios making mark as windsurfer

2008-08-06T20:54:00.001-04:00

By DANA CALDWELL (Contact)
12:00 a.m., Sunday, August 3, 2008

The story of how Nancy Rios ended up jetting to China is quite a trip.

Although six years her senior, Sean Sullivan, who served in the Air Force, speaks of his 20-year-old girlfriend in almost reverential tones. He clearly looks up to Rios, the tiny Naples High grad who will windsurf in the Beijing Olympics.

“It’s amazing, man,” Sullivan said. “It’s inspirational to watch her. Seeing somebody really pursue their dreams ... makes me wonder why I’m not a fighter pilot — if Nancy can make the Olympics, I should be an astronaut or something. It’s wonderful seeing it because how many people really get to follow their dreams?”

It has been a wild ride.

Photos of me sailing August 6th, 2008.

2008-08-06T10:12:00.002-04:00

Photos by Luther Carpenter.

Thanks for the awesome photos Luther!

2008-08-06T04:40:00.001-04:00

If you are interested in Dean Brenner's blog, click on the link below!

http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/blog/dean/index.asp

2008-08-06T04:34:00.002-04:00

My official Olympic Sail! Soo pretty!

& it's nice not having a sail number, only USA baby!

Rios rides like the wind- Cocoa Beach athlete hopes for clear sailing in first Olympics

2008-08-06T04:30:00.001-04:00

August 5, 2008

BY BRIAN McCALLUM

FLORIDA TODAY

A busy three days of paperwork and international travel delayed the inevitable, but Nancy Rios knew the nerves were coming as the Olympic windsurfing competition in Qingdao, China, approached.

"I have been quite busy the past three days with team processing and jet-lagged mostly from the travel, so I think the nerves haven't been able to hit me yet," she wrote last week in correspondence from China. "I think when practice race days come around on the 10th and I get to see the fleet on the water, I will get a sense of what the race day will look like."

Olympic windsurfing begins Aug. 11 (Qingdao time) with two races in the afternoon. There are five days of racing before the medal race on Aug. 20. Off days are reserved for use in case of bad conditions.

It will be held on the biggest stage on which Rios has been involved and represents the final stop on what has been quite a trip for the Cocoa Beach athlete. Rios spent the past few months training in France, Qingdao and Miami. She survived a challenge to her spot on the Olympic team, and the competition site was hit with an overabundance of seaweed.

Rios arrived in China on what was Monday, July 28 there, but Sunday in the United States. Fishing boats had been brought in to manually remove the clumps of seaweed at the Qingdao harbor. Rios had trained in Qingdao in June before returning to Florida for training at the Olympic Training Center in Miami.

She got a positive report on the cleanup work soon after returning to China.

"Yesterday was my first day at the Olympic venue and I was pretty busy getting organized, but some of my teammates sailed over from another yacht club and said the seaweed was very minimal," she wrote. "I will get around 12 days to practice before my competition begins. This is my fourth time to Qingdao. I sailed out of the Olympic venue in 2006 and 2007, so I have a pretty good sense of what to expect."

Even clean, the venue offers a challenge, yet perhaps one suited for Rios. The winds are reportedly light at Qingdao, but Rios said her best sailing is in light winds of four to eight knots. There are other obstacles.

"The current is a big factor, and as much as I've sailed in the waters of Qingdao, there always tends to be changes in the currents throughout the day," she wrote. "It's never exactly the same. As far as the fog goes, we deal with it and go train usually once it clears out if it's a big problem."

Beth Winkler, who began coaching the future Olympian when Rios was in her early teens, said the course makes for a nice fit.

"I think that light winds is good for her," Winkler said. "That's her expertise."

Rios, now 20, qualified for the Olympic Games in the year leading up to Beijing and survived a challenge to her spot in April. A collision with another racer on the final heat of individual Olympic qualifying in October of 2007 resulted in a ruling in her favor. U.S. Sailing eventually upheld that ruling.

All that's left for Rios to do is race the rest of the world.

"This being my first Olympic Games, as one of the youngest and least experienced athletes in the fleet, I expect to sail to my peak performance," she wrote. "I go into every race to win it and try not to make the same mistakes twice."

According to Winkler, windsurfing gets more support in Europe, meaning placing high could be a stretch for an American.

"She just needs to go there and have a good time competing," Winkler said. "Just making the Olympic team is an accomplishment."

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808050325

August 5th

2008-08-05T04:55:00.005-04:00

Hi all-

Since my last update, I got my RSX gear provided by the organizing authoritarian and got that set up.The past few days I've been mainly trying to stay focused & keeping everything to a routine. During the practice races I've been focusing on the changes in current and wind throughout the day, and getting a good idea of what the day will look like according to predicted whether and what is actually on the water.Practicing my lay lines and starts as much as possible, as well as working on my speed.Today I got through my measurement and all is good on that side.

The RSX class starts racing on August 11th- We are six days away today , on Aug. 8th most of the team will fly to Beijing for the opening ceremony.

Aside form my usual training I haven't done much besides sessions in the gym, breakfast and dinners at the village and spending time with the team. If you want to, you never really need to leave the village, there is pretty much everything you need here, which is pretty nice. Plus I have my own room, I got lucky!

If you are interested in seeing a preview of the Olympic village were we are living, you can go to this link.
http://app.talkfusion.com/talkFusionStudio/view.asp?241263_1677832

Zach Railey, our Finn sailor made this available for his updates on August 1st and I thought it was done very well.

For now that's about it! I'll be back with more, later.

Nancy

Olympic Windsurfer Sails Her Way To The Top

2008-08-01T20:47:00.003-04:00

by Jon Hamilton

Listen now here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=93176085&m=93194917

Enlarge

Rick Roberts

Nancy Rios uses a "pumping" action to accelerate her board and sail. U.S. Sailing

“She's one of the hardest-working athletes I've ever worked with.”

Brandon Sebald, Nancy Rios' trainer

Walter Cooper

At 5-foot-2, Nancy Rios will be one of the shorter windsurfing athletes competing in the Olympics. U.S. Sailing

All Things Considered, August 1, 2008 · You don't have to look for Nancy Rios when she's on the water — you just listen. You can hear Rios pumping her way past the U.S. Sailing Center in Miami. That's right, pumping.

Windsurfers sail standing up on what look likes an overgrown surfboard. They keep the sail upright by holding the boom in their hands.

By flexing their legs and upper body, they can actually flap the sail like a huge polyester wing.

Back on land, Rios explains how she does it.

"You want your sail to act like a spring, to create the power to move your sail forward," Rios says. "You can see the top of the sail really flexing. That's really what you want. And you're bringing the power from the middle all the way to the top."

This pumping action helps power the board through the water, especially in light wind, and it has become a key part of Olympic windsurfing.

A Physical Sport

Pumping has made the sport much more physical. During the opening sprint of a race, a windsurfer's heart can reach 180 beats per minute.

A race takes about 45 minutes, as sailors work their way upwind and downwind around a course marked by colored buoys.

All that takes a lot of energy, especially from someone the size of Rios.

"When I look at pictures, I actually realize that I'm really short and small. And I'm just like, God, that's not fair. I would love to be taller, that would be nice. I'm like 5-foot-2."

That's a good six inches shorter than many of her competitors.

So when Rios isn't on the water, she's usually at the gym.

Her trainer, Brandon Sebald, works with professional football and baseball players. He says Rios has taught him that windsurfing is every bit as demanding.

"She's one of the hardest-working athletes I've ever worked with," Sebald says. "She does everything you tell her. She's got great character, which is the best thing about her, in my belief."

Sebald says he had to come up with a special fitness program for Rios to meet the unusual physical demands of windsurfing.

"We do a lot of balance stuff, a lot of strength stuff," Sebald says. "Some basic Olympic lifting. But for her, it's a lot of upper-body stuff. Especially going over to China, there's not a lot of wind for her sport."

And the less wind there is, the more you have to pump the sail.

Starting Young

Rios took up windsurfing when she was 14, and she got very good very fast. Good enough to start racing internationally.

"And so I did Portugal when I was 15, Poland when I was 16," says the 20-year-old from Orange County, Calif. "And then I started seeing all the young girls on the boards. And I was like, wow, you know, they are at such a higher level."

She began training much harder and set her sights on making the U.S. Olympic team — a feat that almost didn't happen.

At the Olympic trials in Long Beach, Calif., in October 2007, Rios was in first place after 15 races. But during the start of the final race, another sailor collided with her.

"I just got slammed," Rios says. "My sail went in the water. My sail got torn. I lost 40 seconds off that start, off the race."

She finished fourth, which would have put another competitor in first place overall, but Rios was able to challenge the result because she had the right of way when the accident occurred.

It took months of hearings to settle the matter, but in May, Rios finally learned she was going to the Olympics.

Since then, she's spent a lot of time at the U.S. Sailing Center.

After controversy, Naples windsurfer Beijing bound

2008-07-29T21:37:00.002-04:00

NAPLES: American Olympians are arriving in Beijing as the start of the games near and among them is Naples grad Nancy Rios. Many athletes at the games had to win trials to get there. NBC2 Sports found out Rios won trials - both athletic and legal.

Nancy Rios can once again focus on windsurfing.

"It was a distraction, a big distraction, and a lot of stress than shouldn't have happened," said Rios.

Read more and see the video....

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=20700&z=3

2008-07-29T19:46:00.002-04:00

Today is Wednesday July 30th and I am patiently waiting to get my RSX gear. We were suppose to receive the equipment yesterday, they had a lottery numbers pulled out to give athletes their slot numbers and then the distribution was rescheduled . I was told there were some problems with the equipment and they decided to change the distribution to today at 10:00 am. Hopefully everything will look good on the equipment side and I can get in a nice session on the water today!!

Yesterday I spent the day in the gym, checking out the village and it's facilities and getting some well needed rest. The food at the village has been great, no complaints yet and the rooms are excellent!

Thanks for the support & talk to you soon.

Nancy Rios

2008-07-28T09:43:00.002-04:00

Hello from Qingdao!

Today is Monday here in Qingdao and I am officially checked into the Olympic Village. Today we unloaded and organized containers to help get things on a good start. Tomorrow we will receive our brand new RSX equipment and I plan on getting on the water weather permitting.
The Olympic Village is much like a 4 start hotel, most of the US team is on an entire floor with the view of the sailing center.The village has pretty much anything you need to live here, a dinning hall, gym and pool,recreation room, massage, and laundry. Today was a typical smoggy day in Qingdao with light breeze. Countries are pouring in from all over and it's all very exciting.

In the next few day I will be breaking in the new equipment, making sure I am up to date with all guidelines and soak everything in. I wish you could all see this place, what a great job they have done to make this place happen!

Nancy

Traveling to China for the Olympic Games.

2008-07-26T02:10:00.002-04:00

Hi all-

I am currently in San Francisco leaving for China tomorrow morning with most of the US Sailing Team. Yesterday I flew out of Miami and spent the day at the University of San Jose going through team processing.We got all our US Olympic Team apparel, accreditation, medical reviews, briefings, and more. I was very excited to finally hold the uniforms in my hands and finally see the apparel. It is very nice!!

This afternoon and evening we had a team event at the St. Francis Yacht Club where all the athletes were announced and given many "good lucks and goodbyes".

Tomorrow I will fly to Beijing and then go on to Qingdao. We will get to go to the athlete village, get settled and start our pre-competition training for the next couple of weeks. I will update more once I arrive to Qingdao. I am very excited, and feeling anxious to see the Olympic Village and venue once again.

The entire team is very excited and we are honored to represent the United Sates of America!!

Thank you for your patience in my updates, talk to you next time from China!!

Olympians will take South Florida flavor to Beijing

2008-07-23T11:27:00.001-04:00

Posted on Tue, Jul. 22, 2008

BY LINDA ROBERTSON

Four years after he tripped over the last hurdle and failed to qualify for the Athens Summer Games by a fraction of a second, Bershawn Jackson is going to the Olympics.

He's taking Jesse Holt, his childhood coach, with him. Jackson presented Holt with a plane ticket to Beijing on Tuesday. He's paying Holt's expenses as a gift to Holt for the 30 years he has dedicated to the Northwest Express Track Club in Miami's inner city.

It will be Holt's first trip to the Olympics, as well.

In China, Holt plans to cheer not only for his two former protégés, Jackson and Tiffany Ross-Williams in the 400-meter hurdles, at Bird's Nest Stadium -- but for all of Team South Florida.

An eclectic group of 19 athletes with ties to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach megalopolis will represent the U.S. during the Aug. 8-24 Olympics and bring pride to the area where they honed their skills and dreams.

''From Moore Park to Beijing,'' said Jackson, who grew up in Liberty City. ``As kids we used to brag that we would be Olympians, and now we really are. It's going to be great to represent Miami to the world.''

THE ATHLETES

South Florida's home team includes Dara Torres, 41, the Supermom swimmer who came out of retirement to make her fifth Olympic team amid awe and controversy. There's Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and WNBA rookie center Sylvia Fowles of Liberty City, the first female player to dunk in high school.

Judoka Adler Volmar carried Haiti's flag at Opening Ceremonies in 1996. This time, the Coral Springs heavyweight will represent the United States.

Sailor Anna Tunnicliffe and sailboarder Nancy Rios, diver Jevon Tarantino, soccer player Jozy Altidore, tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, triathlete Laura Bennett and show jumper Laura Kraut have all lived or live in South Florida. Beach volleyball player Misty-May Treanor is married to Marlins catcher Matt Treanor.

And then there's the sublime Sanya Richards. If anyone from South Florida can be considered a lock for gold, it's Richards in the 400-meter sprint. Richards, a Jamaican who grew up in Pembroke Pines and now lives in Austin, has dominated her event for three years.

''I enjoy having the target on my back,'' said Richards, who suffers from the rare Behcet's Syndrome, which causes lesions on the skin and sores in the mouth. It almost derailed her career last year, but now she is on medication to control it.

Richards is among six track and field athletes from the area, all with legitimate medal hopes.

Walter Dix, the trumpet-playing sprinter from Fort Lauderdale who is the son of schoolteachers, graduated from Coral Springs High and Florida State. He will be the only American man running the 100-200-meter sprint double. He also will run on the U.S. 400-meter relay team.

Lauryn Williams, the surprise silver medalist in the 100 meters at the Athens Olympics, will be among the favorites this time. The petite, five-foot-two Williams trains -- sometimes with her Great Dane, Athena -- at the University of Miami, where she is pursuing a master's.

She would like to see South Florida become more of a track-and-field hotbed.

''We need to build more tracks in South Florida because kids don't have many places to train,'' Williams said.

Rafeeq Curry, a triple jumper, grew up training at the Coral Gables High track with his brothers on his parents' track club. His mother teaches school and his father delivers mail in Coconut Grove. Curry lives in Tallahassee, where he won an NCAA title for Florida State.

''Those of us in track, we all competed against each other, and now everybody is meeting on the biggest stage of all,'' Curry said. ``When you think of South Florida, you think of football. But if kids see more track on TV, if they see us on TV, they will flock to it, because kids love heroes.''

Jackson, of Liberty City, and Ross-Williams, of Opa-locka, used to run together at Moore Park. That's the home of the Northwest Express club, which Holt, 65, has been coaching in his spare time since the late 1970s. Jackson, known as ''Batman,'' got his nickname there from one of the older girls who remarked on his large ears and the way he flew over the hurdles.

Holt discouraged Jackson from running the hurdles at first -- he feared that at five-foot-eight, he was too short for a hurdler and would get hurt. But Jackson secretly entered himself in a race and won.

BIG HEART

''He was so mischievous you could kill him, but he showed me he could do it,'' Holt said. ``Height is not an issue. It's how big the heart is.''

Ross-Williams, also short at five-foot-two, was initially reluctant to run.

''She didn't think she could survive the laps that were required, but one day she decided she'd try one of those laps and got hooked,'' Holt said. ``Unlike Batman, she didn't have a lot of confidence but a lot of ability. Now, when I need someone to talk to one of my kids about confidence, I call Tiffany.''

Ross-Williams graduated from the University of South Carolina, where she met her husband, Steven, when he came through her checkout line at a Wal-Mart. They have a 4-year-old daughter, Samya.

''I missed out in 2004 because I got pregnant,'' Ross-Williams said. 'It was always my grandparents' goal for me to make the Olympics. I'm glad to fulfill it for them.''

Torres, who trains at the Coral Springs Swim Club under coach Michael Lohberg, is swimming faster now than she did in her 20s despite knee and shoulder operations in the past eight months. She broke her own American record in the 50-meter freestyle at the Olympic trials.

Torres' renaissance in the pool has renewed speculation that she is using performance-enhancing drugs. Expecting skepticism, she volunteered for extra drug testing under a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency pilot program. She attributes her success to hard work, amino acid supplements and a ''resistance stretching'' regimen that requires two trainers to massage or ''mash'' her body with their feet.

''I want people to know that I am doing this right,'' said Torres, whose daughter, Tessa, is 2. ``I swam against swimmers who were dirty my entire life, and it's just something I wouldn't do.''

Not all the athletes will be competing in Beijing. Kraut and the equestrian team will be based in Hong Kong. Kraut, 42, of Wellington, will jump aboard Cedric, a diminutive 10-year-old gray gelding whom she describes as ``a little zany.''

The sailing venue is in the port city of Qingdao, on China's east coast. Tunnicliffe, who was born in England and sails out of the Lauderdale Yacht Club, is the No. 1-ranked Laser Radial sailor in the world. Miami's Rios, a relative newcomer to sailboarding, trains on Biscayne Bay, on the west coast of Florida (she graduated from Naples High) and on the Banana River near Cocoa Beach.

They are expecting light winds and slow racing. Qingdao is scrambling to clean up a miles-long algae bloom, which Rios said ''looked like a soccer field'' when she was there recently.

''One thing's for sure,'' said sprinter Williams: ``It's going to be an adventure.''

Tactics

2008-07-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

By REED ALBERGOTTI

July 18, 2008; Page W4

The Chinese beach town of Qingdao has giant algae blooms clogging its coastline, dense fog, sweltering summer heat and piles of trash that flow in with the strong currents. But it's what the town lacks that makes it an especially difficult venue for Olympic sailing: wind.

Olympic racing boats

According to US Sailing weather forecasters, there's a 90% chance of "light air" for the event. The Chinese have added extra "reserve days" to the event's time window, in case the wind is so mild that they can't hold the race at all. There's a good chance the boats in Qingdao (pronounced ching-dow). will be moving very, very slowly during the races -- or be stopped completely, which happened in an informal training race there.

What does all this mean for sailors on the U.S. Olympic team? A strict diet. Lighter sailors fare better in conditions where there is barely enough wind to propel the boats. In such cases, every tiny reduction of drag helps, and that includes extra body fat. "A lot of people are referring to their Qingdao weight," says team spokeswoman Derby Anderson.

That includes Andrew Campbell, a 24-year-old racing in the Laser class. He's shed 10 pounds for the event, and is now a lean 175 -- lighter than he's ever been for sailing. Many of his Olympic teammates have shed even more, he says. "A lot of the guys look pretty emaciated."

John Lovell, a silver medalist in the Tornado event in the 2004 Athens Olympics, has gotten within five pounds of his target weight of 160 -- which is 20 pounds lighter than his usual 180 -- by cutting out fried foods and beer and running every day. "I'm basically losing as much as I can," he says.

HARDLY ANY BREEZE

Nobody is under more pressure than Jennifer Lilly, the team's meteorologist. She's been studying the weather in Qingdao for nearly four years. In most sailing venues, there's a range of wind, say from 12 to 17 knots. But in Qingdao, the forecast comes in extremes. In most cases, there's hardly any breeze in August. But if there is a typhoon in the Yellow Sea, it could send winds of 20 knots flying through the Olympic course. "Light winds are very hard to forecast and we didn't have much data to start with," says Ms. Lilly.

Rick Roberts/US Sailing

Stu McNay and Graham Biehl of the U.S. Olympic sailing team.

Two years ago, the British team used its own weather stations to monitor the conditions in the area, but the Chinese government objected. Other teams then had to wait for the Chinese to install their own -- some of which were only put in last year, Ms. Lilly says. When she asked the U.S. Navy for data on the current, Ms. Lilly says all they were able to give her was information already available to the public. "They probably knew more than they were letting on," she says.

Compounding the already difficult conditions, and making weight even more of a factor, are the strong currents, which can reach more than two knots. In low wind, the currents are so strong they can actually push boats backwards. Add to that the hot, humid conditions, and sailors could be spending some long, uncomfortable hours on their boats.

A LITTLE GUST OF WIND

Olympic sailors say that in such situations, the race could come down to dumb luck. "Because it's so light, a little gust of wind can just blow one person ahead of another," says Ms. Anderson. Even a nearby helicopter could push enough wind to give one team an advantage over another, she says. Or, the positioning of the buildings on shore could funnel wind toward one team, and not another.

"You gotta have a little luck," says Austin Sperry, who's been thinning down to race in the Star class, whose larger boats normally favor heavy riders. Mr. Sperry says he is less worried about the low wind than the heat. Getting too thin, and then being dehydrated during a race, "you start thinking stupid," he says.

There's always that 10% chance the winds won't be light at all. That would favor heavier sailors, and put the ones who lost too much weight at a disadvantage. Sarah Mergenthaler and Amanda Clark are looking to shave off a modest 10 pounds between them. They said they might benefit by losing more, but won't go overboard. "You're not going to be sailing at your best if you're starving yourself," says Ms. Mergenthaler.

Team nutritionist Lisa Dorfman not only has to figure out how to help sailors trim weight while retaining their strength, she has to find ways to keep them from getting sick in China. During visits, many of the sailors got sick. So to keep them away from "risky" food, Ms. Dorfman recently scouted the area for passable supermarkets and restaurants. She's suggesting they stock up on energy bars and eat the packaged chicken that's being provided to U.S. athletes by Tyson. "You have to have fit guts going over there," Ms. Dorfman says.

When Mr. Sperry goes back to Qingdao to compete, he plans to eat nearly every dinner at Da Vinci, an Italian restaurant in the Shangri-La hotel. "I'm just being ultraconservative," he says.

Write to Reed Albergotti at reed.albergotti@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121634038670464017.html

2008-07-12T16:40:00.004-04:00

A couple a days ago I had the pleasure of doing an interview with NBC Ft. Myers! It was a great to be in my own element and tell them a little about what I do everyday.They followed me around for a sailing session and did an interview afterwards. Hopefully in the next week or so we will see something put together for that.

Lately here in Miami, the wind comes and goes. As it's starting to get warmer & warmer, it's been good preparation for the heat I will encounter in Qingdao. I've been feeling good on and off the water. My trainer Brandon is working me hard in the gym and other than that I'm trying to read up on all the guidelines and rules for the Games!!

I'm getting very excited and just counting down the days!!

2008-07-12T16:33:00.001-04:00

RS:X women's Class 2008 (Windsurfing)

By Thornton Reese, About.com

US Sailing / Walter Cooper

Nancy Rios

"Unconventional" is the word which springs to mind when describing Nancy Rios. While most Olympic sailors' resumes are longer than the masts of the boats they sail, Nancy Rios has experienced a meteoric rise from "newbie" to "Olympian." Rios first came to windsurfing as a young teen, joining her family in embracing the recreational side of the sport. Racing soon followed, and she was gradually drawn to the competitive side of the sport. And when the windsurfing equipment changed after the 2004 Games -- from the Mistral to the current Neil Pryde RS:X -- Rios was ready to give an Olympic effort a try. She took a 1st in the US SAILING Pre-Trials at Long Beach, California in 2006, then went on to a 1st in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2007.

AGE: 20
YACHT CLUB: Banana River Windsurfing Resort
HIGH SCHOOL: Naples High School (graduated 2005)
COLLEGE: Brevard Community College (completed two years)
BIRTHPLACE: Orange, California
HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida
OCCUPATION: Full-time sailor
SAILING SINCE AGE: 14

Notable Quote: "The change in equipment was a new opportunity... and I thought, Why not? Everyone else will also be starting on new equipment."

WEBSITE: nancyrioswindsurfing.blogspot.com

Naples graduate concerned about algae at Olympics

2008-07-12T16:24:00.001-04:00

BY LEE NESSEL • news-press.com sports bureau • July 3, 200
After triumphing through multiple redress hearings challenging her Olympic berth, the 20-year-old Cocoa Beach resident has to worry about navigating through the algae-clogged water on which she'll go for gold at the Beijing Games.

China's latest Olympics nightmare is a vast algae bloom that covers one-third of the sea where the world's best sailors are supposed to be competing in just over a month. Athletes call it the blob, the carpet, the fairway.

"It's definitely a problem," said Rios, who returned Tuesday from an 18-day trip to China to test the waters. "I don't know exactly what's causing it or if it's going to go away, but I know the Chinese are trying to clean it up and do their best to get it out of the water.

"It's a problem for every class, it gets stuck on the fins, inside the gaskets of the boats. It's not just like seaweed, there are entire fields of it. It looks like a soccer field out there."

Chinese officials are trying to make the stuff go away. Hundreds of soldiers cleaned it up by hand in a seaside park Wednesday.

About 10,000 citizens were doing the same along the shore, while more than 1,200 fishing and other boats hauled it in by net, the workers smiling and flashing the two-fingered victory sign to journalists.

Chinese officials promised at a news conference Wednesday that the Olympics competition area, all 19 square miles of it, will be clear of the algae before the races begin Aug. 9.

"Actually, we don't have a backup," Qu Chun, the sailing competition manager, said to a small chorus of groans from coaches.

"I went to Qingdao exactly for that, to take a look at what we're facing," Rios said. "But we trained through it, we moved around it and changed courses when we needed to."

Rios, who graduated from Naples High in 2005, will return to China on July 27 - 13 days before the start of the sailing competition.

"But it definitely was good to have it there to train in just in case it's there during the Olympics,'' she said. "Of course, I hope it's not."

The sailing teams had already known that Qingdao, a port on China's east coast, would be a difficult venue with its lower-than-ideal winds, stronger-than-ideal current and soupy fog that sometimes keeps teams off the water.

Then came the algae, which one Chinese official at the news conference, Lu Zhenyu, called a "natural disaster."

First detected in May, it recently swelled to stretches of up to a few miles long.

Chinese officials have appealed to Qingdao's civic pride - and fishermen's wallets - to fight the algae bloom as quickly as possible, with the goal of clearing the competition zone by July 15.

Already, 170 tons of have been cleared away, said Zang Aimin of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.

"As far as protecting the competition area, I'm confident we can do it," she said, adding that navy dredging boats were on the way.

• Follow Nancy Rios' Olympic journey at her Web site: http://nancyrioswindsurfing.blogspot.com

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080703/SPORTS/807030373

Where The Pros Sail '08

2008-07-06T22:57:00.001-04:00

© Ken Reid/Photographer's Choice/Getty

Florida

Nancy Rios, 19, sails the women's windsurfer on the Olympic team. Like several of her teammates, she rates Biscayne Bay as one of her favorite racing spots. But for a relaxed sail, she heads to the Banana River in Cocoa Beach. "The River has manatees, dolphins and small islands that are perfect for an afternoon picnic," she says. "As the day ends you can sail until sunset and enjoy the unforgettable pink skies."

Zach Raily, 23, who skippers the Finn class for the Olympic team, loves to sail off his hometown of Clearwater, on the other side of the peninsula. "What is really cool is catching a wave and looking over and seeing a big group of dolphins riding the wave with you," he says. "It is something that I have done since I was really little and you never get tired of experiencing that sensation."

http://www.forbestraveler.com/cruises-yachts/sailing-vacations-slide.html

A Capitol Fourth

2008-07-06T11:04:00.008-04:00

The Capitol Fourth event in Washington DC this past Friday was amazing! I had such a great time meeting all the athletes and having the opportunity to share with them a special part of our journey towards the Olympics.
On Thursday when I arrived I had a rehearsal and realized that I was going to be only one of eight athletes there!We practiced our walk onto the stage and called it a night after that.

On Friday morning we got special VIP tour of The Capitol and got to see part of the local parade a few blocks away.Since it was likely to rain that evening, the organizers called us in for another rehearsal in case it did rain (just like in our training, practice makes perfect).Later that evening we were to be at the event site at 7:15 ready to go. As Jimmy Smits started the 4Th of July celebration the entertainment began. We all got the opportunity to see the show and have fun. The crowd on Friday was huge and made everyone feel extra special. I think it's great that we were able to be a part of this huge event and it will be an unforgettable opportunity.

We got a great round of applause from the crown that night as we were announced and signed plenty of autographs afterwards. Everyone wished us good luck and safe travels to Beijing!
As the show concluded we were escorted to a private reception at The Capitol and we all received a nice gift. Many came up to us and told us how proud they were of us and I was very thankful for their support.

Overall, it was so much fun and I thank everyone who showed support at the event or on TV!
Of course, I could not leave the night without getting a picture with Jimmy Smits, he was very nice and wished me good luck in China.

Here are some photos, enjoy!

A Capitol Fourth Celebrates Independence Day in Washington, D.C. with Spectacular Fireworks over the Washington Monument

2008-07-02T09:51:00.004-04:00

I finally arrived to Miami yesterday afternoon from Beijing after a very long day and a half of travel and flight delays.It's very nice to be home again, but tomorrow I am off into the skies again!

I've been invited to be a part A Capitol Fourth Americas Independence Day Celebration! This year the event will include a special salute to the Olympic Athletes competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with figure skater and Gold medal winner Scott Hamilton.

I can't wait for the event, I have never been to The Capitol, let alone be a part of such a big event like this, so I am very honored (I might also get a VIP tour if there is time).Other Olympic athletes are also expected to attend and be a part of the event.

The event will be televised and you can go to the link below for more information.
http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/

China removes algae from Olympic sailing venue

2008-06-27T04:03:00.001-04:00

China has called in thousands of people to clean up an algal bloom at the sailing venue for this summer's Olympic Games, a state news agency said.

The blue-green algae blossomed around June 1 in the waters around Qingdao on the coast of Shandong province, and some 400 boats and 3,000 people have been mobilized to clean it up, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Telephones at the Qingdao Ocean and Fishing Bureau, which is overseeing the cleanup efforts, were not answered Thursday.

Chinese news photos showed the bright-green bloom along the shores of downtown Qingdao. Other images showed workers loading the algae onto boats as windsurfers sailed in the background. The photos also showed people wading in the water and scooping up armfuls of the plant-like organism and putting it into white sacks.

Blue-green algae blooms when nutrients, sometimes caused by excessive pollution, build up in water.

The country's three-decade economic boom has left its waterways and coastlines severely polluted by industrial and farm chemicals and domestic sewage.

About a quarter of the entire population lacks access to safe drinking water and, despite repeated government pledges of a cleanup, the situation is worsening.

Some algae can produce dangerous toxins and if ingested can cause vomiting, respiratory failure and, on rare occasions, death.

Workers clean up blue-green algae from the sea as windsurfers sail behind, at Qingdao, the host city for sailing events at the 2008 Olympic Games, in eastern China's Shandong province Tuesday June 24, 2008. The Qingdao government has organized 400 boats and 3000 people to help remove the algae after Olympics organizers ordered a cleanup. Experts say the algae, which has clogged the coastline of the Olympic city, is a result of climate change and recent heavy rains in southern China, according to the Xinhua news agency. (AP Photo/EyePress)

Qingdao Training

2008-06-26T23:51:00.005-04:00

Hi all,

We finished off the training camp here in Qingdao just a couple of days ago on a very good note.
It was a very productive camp, and I couldn't have done it without Irina, Diana and Christophe!

During the camp I worked on my pumping technique both upwind and downwind, along with improving my speed and finding good upwind and downwind angles. Aside from that we were challenged by the variable currents , wind shifts , swell and of course the seaweed! I have plenty of things to work on when I get back home before I return again to Qingdao for the Olympic Games in late July. Overall I feel I have given all my effort to my training and I can take advantage of what my strengths are and work on my weaknesses.

I return to Miami on Monday and tomorrow will be my last sail in Qingdao. One of my hopes for when I return is that they come up with a solution for the seaweed overgrowth and clean up the waters. I have my doubts that this will be taken care of, but I will just have to wait and see!

Best wishes from Qingdao!Thank you for the support!

Nancy Rios.

Qingdao Training Updates

2008-06-22T08:06:00.007-04:00

Today we finished the 5th/7th day of the training camp, and there was plenty of good moments and bad moments on the water. We did some practice races, and some other routines. My speed downwind is good and I have improved my technique a lot, but I am still struggling with my upwinds. It's very frustrating at times but I am working hard to improve many things and I am glad I have my training partners and Christophe here to help me with that.

Here are some random pictures I got to take the other day from the coach boat, they are mostly all out of focus, but they are the best I could do since the boat was moving.Please note this was a clear day in Qingdao and of course the lovely seaweed !!

Gotta love it!

Nancy

Welcome to Qingdao Training Camp: Part 1

2008-06-21T07:36:00.000-04:00

To the average sailing enthusiast, Qingdao is known as the location of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but the details are shrouded in a smoggy haze. As the Olympic and Paralympic Teams for Sailing make their final training trips to Qingdao, we get a glimpse of the life they lead when they travel the 7,000 miles and 12 time zones (from the East Coast) to the seaside village of Qingdao, China.

The Venue

Most of the sailors on the U.S. Olympic Team for Sailing first sailed in Qingdao in 2006 at the Olympic Test Event. They had no idea what to picture the first time they headed to the Yellow Sea. Zach Railey, U.S. representative in the Finn Class from Clearwater, Florida, says, “When we heard it was a small seaside town I certainly did not expect to see nine million people-- but in China that is a small seaside town.” Though the sailors have spent most of their time hanging out in their leftover 40-foot shipping containers in a parking lot near the venue, most of the team has by now had a look at the village for the 2008 Summer Games, which they all agree looks amazing.

The inside scoop on the village comes from the members of the US Disabled Sailing Team AlphaGraphics who recently traveled to China for the Qingdao International Regatta. Although the village won’t be open for athletes who are coming into Qingdao for their training camps over the next two months, the organizers opened the gates for the disabled sailors competing in the test event. From what team members and coaches have gathered, the Beijing village, where most other sports’ athletes will stay, is apartment-style with three to four bedrooms per unit and shared baths. Compare that to the Qingdao village, which is set up to become a 5-star Intercontinental Hotel after the Games. (See village room at right). Our sailors will get to bypass the communal Beijing housing for more luxurious accommodation including a gym and pool. The Qingdao village is rumored to be the nicest village any of the veteran sailors have ever seen.

To enter the village in Qingdao, security is “very tight, it is like going through airport security,” says Paralympic Team Leader Sarah Hawkins. “Bags are searched and go through an x-ray machine. You also need your passport to re-enter the venue and of course your credential.” Once inside, help is available from what all the sailing team members have called an incredibly friendly and enthusiastic staff. Debbie Capozzi, who hails from Bayport, N.Y. and does bow on the Team Seven Yngling, says, “The people in Qingdao are fantastic, warm and welcoming, the venue is great, well organized and well built, but the food is another story.”

While Hawkins, a self-described picky eater, lived off of rice and granola bars in Qingdao, the athletes probably want a more balanced diet. Graham Biehl, the men’s 470 crew from San Diego, will head to Qingdao for the first time in two years when he returns for their month-long training camp, and plans to bring loads of peanut butter to hold him over. Many of the sailors will be bringing in their own boxes of granola bars, and they benefit from a couple of food sponsorships as well. The sailing team is supplied by GU Energy Gel, a sports-goo that’s become very popular with these traveling sailors. Tyson Foods, an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, is sending over pre-cooked chicken packets including a “hot-pot” style heater and even a voltage adapter.

The box lunches given to the disabled sailors last month were successfully cross-cultural, but as they consisted of cookies, croissants and Danish pastries, they were not particularly useful to athletes. As for Americans’ ability to stomach different foods in China, Johnny Lovell, who returns to sail in the Tornado for his fourth Olympic Games and won silver in Athens, says, “Getting used to what we can and cannot eat is as much of a challenge as learning about the current, wave and wind patterns!” Having said that, the team has sent more positive reports on the food, saying that while it’s crucial to be very careful with food, the cafeteria is fine and the breakfast buffet at the hotel is great—complete with local favorites like sushi and chicken feet in addition to Western staples like cereal and yogurt.

The Qingdao satellite venue is going to be more convenient than the sport venues in Beijing because the gigantic sailing ramps are only a few hundred yards from the village. (See view from village room at left). Anna Tunnicliffe, the Laser Radial representative from Plantation, Florida, won the test event in Qingdao last year and says that though the sailing at training camp so far has been light and foggy, it’s great practice for the expected conditions. Sailors saw uncharacteristically strong breezes at the Qingdao International Regatta last month, and while that’s encouraging, weather expectations for August leave most sailors with an intense focus on five knots of wind and one to two knots of current. While it’s a challenging combination of factors that some team members would have hated in the past, the sailors are positive with their feelings towards sailing on the Yellow Sea. Lovell practices euphemistic wording when he shares that Qingdao is “such a unique place to sail.”

Over June and July, team members will head to Qingdao for extended training camps, with many of the sailors planning to trek to China twice before the final trip to the Games. As the village will be closed, they will sail out of Yin Hai Yacht Club, which is only a short hop from the village and provides easy access to the same waters that will be used for the Olympic Regatta courses. Team members’ goals at each training camp vary depending on their personal training styles, but they all share the objective to peak for their Olympic and Paralympic Regattas later this summer. Olympic Team Leader Dean Brenner says, “We’re in the final stretch towards the Olympic Games this summer, and the entire Olympic sailing community is fully focused on Qingdao. We’re feeling good about our team, and we’ll be ready.”

Details on the sailors’ approaches to training and the Olympics will come in Part II of this story.

http://olympics.ussailing.org/News_Articles/Current_News/Welcome_to_Qingdao_Training_Camp__Part_1.htm

Qingdao Training Camp

2008-06-18T21:36:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Diana, Irina and I started our training with Christophe here in Qingdao. The conditions for the day were anything from 2-10 knots. There was a little bit of everything, and a lot of pumping! We joined in on a couple of races that the coaches here organized and had a session afterwards to make some improvements.

This morning the fog has covered the bay and surroundings, and we are looking to train a little later in the day hoping it will clear up some. Just the other day it was soo foggy that some of the coach boats couldn't find their way back to the harbor! Those are just some of the challenges we have to work with here in Qingdao and it's all part of the game!

Aside from training , I have been enjoying Qingdao. The people everywhere have been very welcoming and I can't complain. I look forward to the skies clearing up and hopefully getting some photos of the city.My accommodations have been great & the food here is alright, it has been hard to find everything I am use to eating, but it has been ok overall.

Overall I am already happy with the first day of our training camp and I look forward to making more improvements on the water in the next few days.

Nancy

Hello from Qingdao

2008-06-14T10:54:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

I am currently in Qingdao ,China after a long day of travel yesterday, I arrived to a very sunny, and surprisingly breezy day in Qingdao (5-12 knots).For the next couple of weeks I will be training with my friend Diana Detre from Hungary and from the 18th-24th have a training camp with Irina from Bulgaria and french coach Christophe Boutet. There any many things to focus on here while in Qingdao and I think it's going to be a very productive 2 weeks.

Today I am recovering from the jet lag, I got my gear situated and will be sailing out of the Yin Hai Yacht Club.There are many athletes here already including members of the US Team & it has been a very nice to catch up with them and have a team around with great support.
I plan on returning to the states on June 30th and returning for the Olympic competition on July 26th

For now that is all,I look forward to keeping you updated on my training as more comes and hopefully some photos too.

Nancy Rios

American Variety Radio Interview

2008-06-02T11:46:00.000-04:00

If you missed the radio interview I did with Court Lewis of American Variety on WFIT-89.5 FM this past Sunday, you can still catch the playback at the address below.

http://www.american varietyradio. com/NRios- -Windsurfer_ 6-1-08.mp3

It was a little hard doing this interview because it was my first time doing anything like this, but it was a great experience, I did my best and I hope you enjoy it.

Nancy

Moving Forward

2008-06-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

I apologize for the delay in recent updates,I've been quite busy with everything going on but here is what I've been up to.

Currently I am in Miami, praying for the winds to drop down so I can break a sweat and pump like crazy!This past week the conditions where a little breezier than I hoped for, everything from 10-18 knots. I just got a report from several U.S Sailing team members currently in Qingdao, with winds approximately 3-4 knots, smoggy and hot. So today in the Bay it's a perfect training day!

I moved to Coconut Grove a couple months ago, but due to my training in France in April/May and the Arbitration ,I didn't get a chance to get into a routine until a couple weeks ago.I am 5 min away from the US Sailing Center Miami, an official Olympic Training Center and it has been a great advantage to me to store my equipment there and have all the facilities available that I need.

This morning, I started out my day with a 20 min bike ride to the gym for a conditioning session with my new trainer Brandon, of Jaguar Professional Training. Brandon has been great and I've been working with him for a week now.Overall I feel fit and strong, but Brandon tells me I can always be stronger.In sailing I'm focusing on my weaknesses and trying to take advantage of the strengths I have...and of course having FUN!!

It is exactly 66 days before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in China this August and time is flying by! On June 12th I leave for Qingdao, China, for a training camp and return to Miami at the end of June.Afterwards on July 24th I leave for the Olympic Games, however first I make a stop in San Francisco for team processing, where I will get my official Olympic uniforms, credentials, and get informed about the latest for China.

I am working very hard these next couple of months and I honored to be doing this to represent my country in the Games. Go Team USA!

For now that's all, the light winds are calling my name!

Nancy Rios

2008-05-29T09:21:00.001-04:00

If you want a break from political talk, if all that ranting is wearing you out, then you’ll feel right at home with American Variety: Radio for the rest of us!

I’m Court Lewis, the host of American Variety Radio™. On American Variety we talk about a wide variety of topics—in fact, anything but politics. Every week is a different theme, from interviews with amazing people who followed their dream and succeeded, to in-depth looks at out-of-the-way subjects that I think you’ll find fascinating.

American Variety is aired on WFIT-89.5 FM on Florida’s Space and Treasure Coast. The show is streamed live on the internet, airing on Sundays at 7:30 a.m. If you like a refreshing, humorous approach to an eclectic mix of topics, I think you’ll like American Variety. Tune in and check us out!

June 1st: Nancy Rios is the only woman windsurfer on the U.S Olympic Sailing Team and is heading to Beijing.

2008-05-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

Nancy Rios

http://www2.ussailing.org/Page82.aspx

Just the Facts CLASS: Neil Pryde RS:X POSITION: Skipper US SAILING TEAM ALPHAGRAPHICS:2006-2008 MEMBER OF: Banana River Windsurfing Resort HIGH SCHOOL: Naples High School (graduated 2005) COLLEGE: Brevard Community College (completed two years) AGE: 20 BIRTHPLACE: Orange, California HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida OCCUPATION: Full-time sailor SAILING SINCE AGE: 14 WEBSITE: http://nancyrioswindsurfing.blogspot.com/

Just the Facts

CLASS: Neil Pryde RS:X
POSITION: Skipper
US SAILING TEAM ALPHAGRAPHICS:2006-2008
MEMBER OF: Banana River Windsurfing Resort
HIGH SCHOOL: Naples High School (graduated 2005)
COLLEGE: Brevard Community College (completed two years)
AGE: 20
BIRTHPLACE: Orange, California
HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida
OCCUPATION: Full-time sailor
SAILING SINCE AGE: 14
WEBSITE: http://nancyrioswindsurfing.blogspot.com/

As a young teen, when Nancy Rios returned to the United States from a summer-long visit with her mother's family in Mexico, a lot had changed at home. For one, all her family members had become avid windsurfers in her absence.

"They all had their own boards, and encouraged me to try it," she remembers.

For an entire family to suddenly embrace a new sport may sound unusual—until you learn that outdoor adventure is a big part of life in the Rios family. For several years, Rios's parents ran an adventure sports business in Huatulco, Mexico, south of Acapulco. They offered river rafting, waterskiing, deep-sea fishing, horseback riding on the beach, forays into the mountains to tour the coffee plantations, and other activities.

Adding another outdoor sport to their lives was, to Rios, not a surprise. But not even Rios herself predicted that windsurfing would grow to become such a big part of her own life.

Rios's involvement in the competitive side of the sport grew gradually, and her first world championship regatta was overwhelming. But she kept sailing, and when the windsurfing equipment changed after the 2004 Games, from the Mistral to the current Neil Pryde RS:X, she was ready to give an Olympic effort a try.

"The change in equipment was a new opportunity," she says, "and I thought, Why not? Everyone else will also be starting on new equipment."

Born in California, Nancy Rios spent her childhood between the U.S. and Mexico. After leaving Huatulco, she and her family moved far north to Washington State to be closer to family—and snow. She settled in Florida, where she now lives, in 2001.

As Rios looks at her own Olympic path, she sees both challenges and rewards. Fund-raising to keep competing against a world-class fleet remains a continual challenge. The RS:X class does not have the same kind of population that a class like the Laser or Laser Radial has, so Rios misses the camaraderie of training in a big U.S. field.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an Olympian has been the opportunity to train hard as an athlete—and Rios credits US SAILING's Performance Enhancement Team for bringing her athletic training to an elite level. Says Rios: "I have learned so much about being an athlete."

As a young woman at the start of her athletic career, she finds the international field in this physically demanding sport to be full of role models, such as multiple Olympic medalist Barbara Kendall of New Zealand and current world champion Alessandra Sensini of Italy.

"When I think, Oh, this is so hard and I am so tired and my body hurts," she says, of competing in a particularly grueling regatta, "I look around at those smart sailors and see how fit they are—and they inspire me."

SIGNIFICANT SAILING ACHIEVEMENTS:

Ranked #1 on the US Sailing Team - RS:X Women (2006-2008)
Won the 2006 US SAILING Pre-Trials by winning 6 out of 8 races

SAILING RESUME:

2008
60th Neil Pryde RS:X World Championship/Takapuna, New Zealand (top U.S. finisher)

2007
1st U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing/Long Beach, California
5th Pan American Games/Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 21st – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR/Miami, Florida (top U.S. finisher)

2006
1st US SAILING Pre-Trials/Long Beach, California
11th – US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR

2008-05-23T15:27:00.000-04:00

Statement for Nancy Rios

2008-05-23T00:02:00.001-04:00

Today, the sole arbitrator in Hall v. U.S. Sailing and Nancy Rios granted a directed verdict to US Sailing and Nancy Rios in Hall’s challenge to the final results of the US Olympic Trials in October 2007 for the women’s windsurfing class. “I am honored to be representing the United States in the Olympic Games, and relieved to be able to resume my training full time. I appreciate the efforts of US SAILING, my lawyer Tom Ingram of Pappas Metcalf in Jacksonville , Florida , and the witnesses called by Ms. Hall and US SAILING for this hearing,” said Rios. The arbitrator made his decision following the end of approximately 1 ½ days of testimony provided by witnesses for Ms. Hall at a hearing held in Providence , Rhode Island .

Contact:

Nancy Rios

321- 960-0368

riosnad@yahoo.com

Thomas Ingram, Esq.

Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller, P.A.

904-353-1980

Toi@papmet.com

http://www2.ussailing.org/Page171.aspx

2008-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Statement from US SAILING: Hall v. Rios

Portsmouth, R.I. (May 22, 2008) - US SAILING announced today that an independent arbitrator has dismissed Farrah Hall’s complaint concerning the protest committee’s decision to grant redress to Nancy Rios at the 2007 Olympic Trials in the RS:X Women’s event. Under the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Bylaws and the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the arbitrator’s decision is final. As a result, Nancy Rios’ victory is confirmed.

The arbitrator, C. Mark Baker, heard two days of testimony from Farrah Hall and her witnesses. After Ms. Hall’s legal team rested, attorneys for US SAILING and Nancy Rios moved to dismiss Ms. Hall’s complaint, arguing that Ms. Hall made no showing that the protest committee’s actions and the procedures in the Racing Rules of Sailing that the protest committee followed. Mr. Baker granted the motion and declared the matter closed before US SAILING and Ms. Rios presented their witnesses and evidence.

Dean Brenner, Chairman of the US SAILING Olympic Committee, said “This decision brings to an end any uncertainty concerning the US representative in the Women’s RS:X event. My heart goes out to Farrah Hall, who put her heart and soul into making the Olympic Team. She has a bright future in our sport.”

Brenner continued that “Nancy Rios can now focus entirely on preparing to compete in the Olympic this summer. We look forward to helping Nancy in every way possible.”

Charley Cook, a partner in the law firm Morrison Mahoney, LLP, commented “All parties were fortunate to have been able to present this dispute to Arbitrator Baker. He is well regarded in the sports arbitration field and is on the Court of Arbitration for Sport panel of arbitrators.”

USA Olympic Sailing Team Profiles

2008-05-05T09:16:00.000-04:00

With the United States securing berths in all 11 Olympic classes, Americans competed against each other at two different regattas in October 2007 to determine who would sail at the Games. With the exception of the Yngling and the women's RS:X, which both officially qualified at Worlds in early 2008, the team was solidified following the October trials.

By NBC Olympics.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/teamusa/meettheteam/newsid=120009.html#meet+u+s+sailing+team

The 2008 European Championship in Brest, France.

2008-05-02T05:49:00.000-04:00

Hi all.

I am in Brest, France enjoying the beautiful scenery and having a wonderful time. I am staying in Plougastel, a nearby town with strawberry fields, beautiful flowers and a relaxing atmosphere. Although it’s slightly colder than Hyeres, I have a new appreciation for my full suit and spray top. On April 26^th I celebrated my 20^th birthday with my friends and had a great day.

The people here in Brest have been awfully nice and accommodating. The venue for the European Championship is great and they have put a lot of time into making this event a success. There are tents and carpet for rigging, they have a small café and crepes stand, (which is very popular) and all kinds of other facilities available. I am excited to be a part of it and look forward to racing in a couple of days.

I’ve been on the water several times now and the conditions seem to be anything from 5-25 knots. Usually when it starts to rain or gets cloudy the wind picks up, the key to racing in Brest is all tactics and knowledge of the conditions.

Since I have been in Brest, I have noticed numerous children sailing both windsurfers and small dinghies. The kids here seem to start at a young age. The other day it was cold, raining and hailing at times and the kids were having a great time on the water. I have learned that sailing is Brest requires a great amount of positive attitude and warm thoughts! Seeing these children go out in these conditions certainly leaves complaining out of the question.

If you’d like to know more about the event, or follow the results the website for the RSX Europeans is http://www.rsxclass.com/europeans08.html

Racing begins on May 4^th and ends on May 11^th, I look forward to updating you on how racing goes, but for now that is all.

Talk to you soon.
Nancy Rios

Training Updates April 2008

2008-04-25T05:03:00.001-04:00

Hello all, France has been wonderful the past week, although is it fairly colder than home, I have enjoyed Hyeres very much. The SOF event has been great training and I look forward to the following weeks.

Hyeres, France April 19^th-23^rd Semaine Olympic Francais Race Days 1-4.

April 19^th, 2008.
Race day one was very disappointing for me. The conditions were between 20-30 knots with big swell. I was confident going into the first race; it was windy but not out of control. I got stuck in the fleet at the start and as I continued the course I tried to gain every possible position. My speed in the conditions was not great, I was constantly working to keep my bow down. Then immediately after rounding the leeward mark my adjustable down haul line snapped, it was horrible! Luckily I had a spare piece of line on my harness, but by the time I fixed everything most of the fleet had finished so I sailed back to the starting line to make the next race.During the time they started the mens fleet the winds picked up to about 30knots and the swell seemed to get bigger, all the girls waited for a while, and I struggled to keep my sail up and luffed out. After a good amount of time it came to a point where I was having trouble keeping my bow down just sailing towards the committee boat,constantly dropping my sail or falling after large gust or swell.Today I wish I had been 20lbs heavier, it would have definitely helped in these conditions..

April 20^th, 2008.
Race day two was fun. I started on port tack both starts, it was such an adrenalin rush ducking a fleet of 50 boards. The conditions were about 20knots with consistent gust. I had the most trouble with the upwind legs, I continuously fought to keep a good upwind angle, but I will workon that in the next few weeks here in France.

April 21^st, 2008.

Race day three was canceled and all races were postponed until the next day due to the Mistral winds. It was blowing approximately 30-45knots, maybe more. Initially the committee was going to send the men’s fleet out, but the winds only continued to increase throughout the afternoon and they were later postponed. I spent the day stretching, resting and got a chance to go to a local market in Toulon.I also got to see the local short boarders tear it up in 45 knots! They were all amazing, and awfully brave, most were on 3.0 sails and tiny boards.

April 22cnd,2008

Race day three was very inconsistent. We went out to the race course at around noon, and got postponed back to shore due to the winds shifting on and off. When we finally got sent back out, the winds had picked up to about 10-12knots, but were up and down between 5-10knots. I had alright speed in both races, but made many tactical errors.

Overall, I feel I should be racing better. It has been hard to transition to higher winds and the colder weather here in France. Training in Miami was nice these past months, but these next weeks will help determine what I need to work on for my performance at the Olympic Games.

Friday is the last race day; I look forward to completing this part of training and continuing onto Brest for the European Championship. The Europeans begins on May 4^th, between now and then I will be training in Brest.

I apologize for the not so current updates; the internet connection is horrible when you have 900 athletes in Hyeres using the same connection!

Until next time,

Nancy Rios

Statement for Nancy Rios

2008-04-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Statement for Nancy Rios
Women’s RS:X Olympic Windsurfing Trials
Re: Request for Redress Hearings
April 16, 2008

Ms. Rios is relieved to be through this phase of the many challenges initiated by Ms. Hall and looks forward to resuming her training for the Olympics. Ms. Rios greatly appreciates the volunteer efforts of the Protest Committee (also known to sailors as the Jury) to reconvene in Rhode Island this past week and hear the two requests for redress.

Under the Racing Rules of Sailing and due to the fact that Ms. Rios represented herself in the original redress proceeding, Ms. Rios had to present her redress request again before the protest committee this past week. Brad Dellenbaugh, an expert in the Racing Rules of Sailing and illustrator for Dave Perry's book Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing, graciously volunteered to assist her in final preparations and observed the first day of the hearing. Ms. Rios's counsel was in Florida. By contrast, Ms. Hall proceeded with her lead attorney, Mr. Doug Smith, as assisted by Olympian and ex-America's Cup sailor John Bertrand, together with several witnesses appearing on her behalf.

Ms. Hall's legal team continues to push forward on every conceivable angle for litigation. At the moment, she is pursuing arbitration under Article IX of the Olympic Bylaws. Included in this challenge is an effort to rewrite the Racing Rules of Sailing to provide for an adversarial, litigation-type process where all affected boats could participate as parties in the initial redress proceeding. She is also challenging the findings of and the process used in the original redress proceeding, which has now become irrelevant. She is also pursuing remedies before a five member panel appointed by the US Olympic Committee Chair to review essentially the same issues, and hopes to do this during the coming weeks.

Ms. Hall had previously asserted that Ms. Rios tore the sail herself or somehow not as the result of the collision, following the conclusion of Race 16, based on photographs taken during Race 16. This is likely what prompted the Jury's reopening of the hearing. Ms. Rios spent weeks preparing for the rehearing. This preparation included two sessions to get comparative photos showing the extent to which the tear in the sail is visible from a distance while sailing. These sessions were observed by representatives for Ms. Hall. At the redress hearing, however, Ms. Hall agreed while giving testimony that the tear did exist during Race 16, and agreed that the tear was visible in one of the original photos. Further, Ms. Hall agreed during her testimony that the tear would negatively affect Ms. Rios's performance, but disagreed as to how much. The Jury found that Ms. Rios lost 30-40 seconds as a result of the collision itself. Add to that the effect of the tear on sail performance in an Olympic level regatta and it becomes apparent that Ms. Rios was not on a level playing field with Ms. Hall and with the two competitors who passed her from behind sometime during the first windward leg in Race 16. The Racing Rules of Sailing allow for redress in these circumstances.

It is worth noting that Race 15 was sailed in substantially similar conditions, in which Ms. Rios placed second. Given her numerous first place finishes and other high-placing finishes, all Ms. Rios needed in Race 16 was second or even third to win the Trials. Ms. Rios was leading this regatta going into Race 16. Given the collision at the start of the final race and the tear near the luff of her sail, just over her head, it would hardly have been fair to count it as if nothing happened and not award redress.

Some may disagree with the whole concept of redress in the event of collisions where the board violating the rules retires, or where there is equipment damage. Their disagreement is with the International Sailing Federation, who sets the Rules, not with the jury charged with applying them. Rules of competition should not be changed after the game is over to benefit one competitor over another.

Ms. Rios is an expert sailor and does not get blown off the water in planing conditions -- far from it. The race in question was breezy but not especially so. The photos from that race show that Ms. Rios was powered up, in control, and bagging the sail going downwind for maximum possible power. Her results from prior races in planing conditions showed that she was competitive in those races and that a second place finish (the average of all of her scores in the prior 15 races) would not have been unusual.

The continued challenges by Farrah Hall, her litigation team, and at least one of her public-relations firms, will probably not do much to encourage anyone to want to race in the next U.S. Olympic Trials for women's windsurfing. This is unfortunate given that only six women chose to undertake the serious commitment to train and practice for this regatta. It is also unfortunate that two prominent members of the very small community of women's windsurf racing in the U.S. are in a legal dispute that rivals the America's Cup litigation. Only in America would someone instigate this intensity of legal challenges over what amounts to a referee call and insist that her doing so was necessary to protect her alleged due process rights. In these efforts to protect and assert her alleged due process rights, Ms. Hall has also seen fit to refuse to answer a question based on her 5th Amendment right to protect against self-incrimination (i.e., for criminal acts) during her redress hearing, and experienced having one of her expert consultants who prepared some of her exhibits refuse to testify, all in the presence of her lead attorney. We believe the Protest Committee to provided Ms. Hall a full and fair opportunity to be heard in accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing, and hope that Ms. Rios will be able to resume her training full-time in these final weeks.

Contact:

Thomas O. Ingram, Esq.
Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller, P.A.
Jacksonville, Florida
Counsel for Nancy Rios
(904) 353-1980

US SAILING Statement on Rios-Hall Hearings

2008-04-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

The RS:X Women's Olympic Trials Jury conducted 2 hearings on April 8 and 9, 2008 in Providence, Rhode Island. The first hearing was a reopening of a request for redress filed by Nancy Rios (USA 323) after the last race at the Olympic Trials held in October 2007. The hearing was conducted "de novo" (that is from the beginning with all testimony from the prior hearing disregarded) on April 8th. After hearing all evidence, the jury granted redress to Ms Rios. Farrah Hall (USA 3) then requested redress based on the jury's decision. The hearing on Ms. Hall's request for redress commenced at 9 AM on April 9th and ended at 10 PM. The jury concluded the evening by stating that it would render a decision as soon as possible.

At issue were a tear in Ms Rios' sail caused in a collision with a competitor required to keep clear and the time Ms Rios took to recover her sail and resume racing. The collision took place at the start of the final race in the Olympic Trials. At that time Ms Rios was winning the regatta. .Both Ms Hall and Ms Rios agreed that the tear occurred in that incident, and that the tear affected. Ms Rios' performance. Both athletes also agreed that the collision caused Ms Rios to lose some time. The athletes disagreed, however, on the extent to which Ms Rios was affected.

The following testified in both hearings:
- Nancy Rios (USA 323)
- Farrah Hall (USA 3)
- Karen Marriot (USA 41) (a competitor- for Ms Hall)
- Lisa Kremer (USA 118) (a competitor - for Ms Hall)
- Barbara Kremer (for Ms Hall)
- Larry White (jury)
- Doug Campbell (jury)
- Chris Luppens (jury)

Morten Christoffersen testified in the Rios hearing at Ms Hall's request. Ms Hall declined to call Mr. Christoffersen in the hearing on her request for redress. Ms Hall testified that Mr Christoffersen had testified in the Rios hearing as Ms. Hall's expert witness. Mr. Christoffersen is a two-time Olympian (Windsurfing, 1992 and 1996 for Denmark) and attorney now residing in Florida

Dean Brenner, Chairman of the US Olympic Sailing Committee testified in the Rios hearing.

In the Hall hearing the following also testified:
- Doug Smith (Ms Hall's attorney)
- Bill Thorpe (jury)
- Chip Johns (jury)

Ms Hall's attorney was an observer in the Rios hearing. In the Hall hearing Ms Hall's attorney was the representative, provided testimony, and questioned all witnesses (including all 5 members of the jury).

Ms Rios was present throughout the Rios hearing, provided testimony and had the opportunity to question all witnesses. Brad Dellenbaugh was Ms Rios' observer in that hearing. Ms Rios chose to have no observer in the Hall hearing and was present only when giving testimony.

US SAILING's attorney, Charley Cook, a partner in the law firm Morrison Mahoney LLP, was present as an observer in the Rios hearing. Mr. Cook represented US SAILING in the Hall hearing.

The U.S. Olympic Committee had two observers present throughout the hearing.

The jury was comprised of 3 ISAF-certified judges, a US SAILING Senior Judge and an elite athlete with more than 30 years of experience in the development, design, testing and construction of sailboats, spars and sails.

Dean Brenner said after the conclusion of the hearing: "Ms Rios and Ms Hall were given the opportunity to fully present their positions over 22 hours of hearings. We are gratified by the efforts of the jury." Mr Brenner continued: "US SAILING hopes that the sailing community will rally around whichever athlete is declared the winner when the jury announces it decision. It's time to move on and let that athlete focus on preparing to represent the United States in China."

(End)

For further questions, please contact:
Charles A. Cook
Partner
Morrison Mahoney LLP
250 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
617-439-7505
ccook@morrisonmahoney.com

“Time flies by when you’re having fun”

2008-03-24T21:51:00.000-04:00

I never knew that windsurfing could bring me so much happiness. Yesterday I came across some pictures of my windsurfing days six years ago; I thought it would be fun to share them. It is crazy to think that just six years ago was the beginning of everything! Enjoy!

Below:Beth coaching me on the water.

The good old Starboard Start.

My dog loved to ride.

In April and May I will be spending approximately one month in France for the Semaine Olympic Francaise April 19-25 in Hyeres, France http://sof.ffvoile.net/index.php?page=3 and the 2008 RSX European Championship in Brest, France May 1st-10th 10^thhttp://www.rsxclass.com/europeans08.html

Both events are important leading up to the Olympic Games in China .

Aside from my sailing here in Miami , I’ve been training with my conditioning coach, Chris Herrera. We’ve been focusing on strengthening my upper body and core for the light wind non stop pumping conditions in China . Training with Chris is a love hate relationship. I love that he pushes me to my limits, and I hate the pain the day after. It’s all worth it in the end. Check out his website at http://www.jaguarpt.com/index.php?/about

Photo by: Rick Roberts

On another note, the ongoing litigation from the Olympic Trials continues, I look forward to bringing the sailing jury hearing and related legal proceedings to their successful conclusion and resuming my training full time.

Wishing you windy days,

Nancy Rios

US Sailing Press Release

2008-01-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Olympians Sarah Mergenthaler, Nancy Rios and Stuart McNay hoist a flag signed by the entire U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Team. Guy Gurney photos
Home > US SAILING News > Press Releases > Dated Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marlieke de Lange Eaton
401-683-0800

USA Wraps Up Sailing's Qualification for 2008 Olympic Games

Portsmouth, R.I. (January 21, 2008) – After ten days of competitive racing at the Neil Pryde RS:X World Championship in Takapuna, New Zealand, Nancy Rios (Miami, Fla.) has qualified the USA for the 2008 Olympic Games in the Women's RS:X event. Going into the World Championship, the USA was looking to secure one of seven country berths available for this summer's Games. Rios was the highest finishing U.S. windsurfer in the World Championship. The USA is now qualified in all 11 events for the 2008 Olympic Games, and will field a full team of 18 sailors.

“Nancy has been training hard to prepare for the World Championship and we were confident her efforts would pay off," said US SAILING’s High Performance Director Gary Bodie. "All of our focus is now on August.”

Rios, who is 19, won the 2007 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Sailing in the RS:X Women’s class last October, earning the right to represent the USA at the 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao, China.

The USA previously qualified in the other ten Olympic events at the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championship held in Cascais, Portugal last July.

The 2008 Olympic Games are scheduled for August 8 – 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. The Olympic Sailing Competition will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles southeast of Beijing.

The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the U.S. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

(End)

http://www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2008/rsxwomenworlds.asp

Nancy Rios New Zealand

2008-01-23T10:51:00.001-05:00

Hello All,

I am back home in Miami, its hard to believe I was in NZL just a day ago, the jet lag has been the worst I have ever experienced. My body is punishing me right now, but plenty of rest will get me back on track.

First I wanted to thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts throughout this experience at the worlds. Those of you who emailed me with motivation and excitement, you have not idea how nice it is to have you behind me. Thank you to those who have supported and continue to support my campaign.

The World Championships in Takapuna, NZL were amazing! There are no other words to describe this event! Going into this championship my goal was to qualify the USA for one of the seven spots left for the Olympic Games in Windsurfing, and I did it!

I spent a total of 26 days in Takapuna, probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. The people are very nice and the lifestyle is relaxed. In New Zealand I stayed at the AUT Student Village in an apartment with Dominique, Marriet and Alain from Canada.

I rode my bike to the yacht club everyday and enjoyed the view of Auckland in the distance.

For three days Dominique, Marriet (physiotherapist) and I rented a car and toured NZL. We traveled to beaches, small towns and mountains along the coast. The sights were beautiful. We spent the days snorkeling, shopping, hiking, and had a endless (and unsuccessful) search for a waterfall. This 3 day adventure helped us take a little time to relax before the event and focus on enjoying every moment in NZL, thui can be every hard when you are competing.

After our small adventure it was all about racing.

The first day of the worlds were nerve wracking. I had no idea where in the fleet I would stand and how much I had improved. With a 28th and 24th place finish I told myself it was not a bad start.

Day 3 and 4: I had a rough starts and finishes. Noticing that my acceleration at the starts was lacking, I had to really work had to keep up with the girls off the starting line. In one of the races while rounding the weather mark I was windward of a competitor, she decided to round very close below me, I could not control my boom and hit her back. She protested me, so on the downwind after rounding I did my penalty turn and lost about 5-6 boards. Finished 34^th .At the end of the day I was upset but told myself there were more races to come.

Day Four: Thrown off completely by the shifty winds and sailing towards what I though was the favored side I would get stuck in almost no wind while other boards were planning. Actually, it reminded me of sailing in Cascais at the worlds last year. No a very good day at all.

Day 5: This was the day to sail well. While everyone was saying it would get up to 20 knots ,I didn’t worry about what the conditions would be and told myself that I had to race no matter what .This day was my best race day of them all placing 9^th and 16^th, best races overall. Catching every possible opportunity, I had good starts and good upwind tacks. Working really hard to keep up with the leading girls from THA, FRA, BRA and CHN, it was a good fight. At one point I rounded the leeward mark in first but lost more boards upwind and downwind. I wish I could have sailed like this the entire regatta, but we can’t have everything we want right?

Day 6: It was blowing between 18-25 knots maybe more. It was the last race and I was stoked it was windy. I had a great start until another girl decided to hit me from leeward at the start and knock me off my balance, I protested her, she also fell afterwards and hit another board after that. After recovering my sail it was probably a minute and a half after the start and I was way behind. Not even close to any of the girls racing. After rounding the leeward mark I was able to catch up but not enough to gain any positions. While sailing upwind I saw a shark surfing the chop on the surface. I told myself “whatever you do…do not fall” It was actually pretty awesome that I saw the shark, it was exciting and a little scary at the same time.

So I ended my regatta with a windy race, a shark encounter and a crash at the starting line…now that’s a crazy finish! It would have been nice to get first place but like I said…we can’t have everything we want!

Finally, the world champions were announced. Four time world champion and Olympic medalist Alessandra Sensini from Italy, and Tom Ashley from New Zealand! The 2008 RSX World champions, congratulations to them!

So what’s next? Training, training and more training….the story of an athlete. I am very excited to continue to train for the games. It’s going to take a lot of training in the gym and on the water and learning more about tactics to do well at the games.

Also, I am still waiting for an arbitration hearing between Farrah Hall vs. US Sailing. There is no date for the hearing.

I felt it was important that you all get a piece of my experience at the worlds. It is a lifetime experience for me and I will never forget it. Qualifying the country for the games has been the hardest challenge I have come across and I am very proud of myself for this accomplishment.

Beijing here we come!

Talk to you soon.

Nancy Rios