SUSF Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder Olivia Price and crew member Eliza Solly jumped from second to first to claim gold in the 49erFX on an exciting final day of competition at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Melbourne.
Going into the final day in second position, Price (Bachelor of Political, Economic & Social Sciences) and Solly were clear winners of the Medal Race and with other teams struggling in the gusty conditions they made gold theirs.
Price and Solly capitalised on a mistake from their Australian rivals Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks – their boat capsized in tough conditions – to claim the victory on Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay.
“Today was really fun, I like the wind and the shifty stuff,” said Price, talking to ISAF TV. “The trick was to keep it fast through all the pressure and keep it upright. It’s really good to win a World Cup and to win it on home soil is really quite special.”
After winning silver at the 2012 London Olympics in the Elliot 6m event, Price has since turned her attention to the 49erFX competition and is still learning on the go.
“It has definitely been a steep learning curve,” explained Price. “We are going a lot quicker and I’m starting to feel more comfortable. It’s been a lot of fun so far and we keep learning new things every day.”
In other sailing news on Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, former SUSF EAP scholarship holder Will Ryan has teamed up ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year and London Olympic Champion Mat Belcher to claim gold in the 470 class in Melbourne.
The win means that Ryan and Belcher are the undisputed world leaders in the men’s 470 class.
