Stodel is set for Paralympic adventure (From Gazette)

Stodel is set for Paralympic adventure

9:51am Thursday 14th August 2008 in Sailing By Simon Spurgeon

While the Olympic sailing action has been in full flow in China, three of Great Britain’s Paralympic gold medal hopefuls have been relaxing on Mersea Island.

The British Sonar team of Hannah Stodel, skipper John Robertson and Stephen Thomas were making a visit to Stodel’s family home in West Mersea ahead of flying out to the Paralympic Games later this month.

The trio are among the favourites to take the gold medal in the Sonar event at the sailing venue of Qingdao when the Games start in September, following the conclusion of the Olympics, and they have been busy putting the finishing touches to their preparations.

A training camp at Hayling Island, near Portsmouth, finalised the tuning crew who will back them up in their attempt for gold in China, however, they are having a short period of relaxation away from the intensity of Paralympic training before heading to the Orient on August 21.

Stodel said everything has gone according to plan with their preparations, with their boat Tantrum already being shipped out to the sailing venue and they know what it will take to bring back a gold medal.

“Consistency will be key and making sure we don’t panic and keep our composure,” she said.

Qingdao will not be Stodel, Robertson and Thomas’ first taste of the unique atmosphere and pressure that the Paralympics brings, though, as despite a disappointing sixth-place finish at Athens in 2004, they have that experience to draw on this time round.

“We are more confident and know what to expect,” said Robertson, who is from Sunderland.

“At Athens we were like rabbits caught in the headlights.

“We were quick and we knew how to sail, but the whole event was so different.”

Stodel added: “Everything is multiplied when you go to the Paralympics, everything is hyped up.

“If you go through your processes, though, it is fine.”

Thomas, who is from Cardiff, said the team is just concentrating on what they do rather than worrying about any of the hype around the Games as they know that if they perform to their ability, then they are capable of bringing a gold medal back to the UK.

“For us, it is getting the best out of ourselves and peaking rather than concentrating solely on getting a medal,” he said.

“If we do our best, it is all that matters.

“At Athens we were so inexperienced.

“The Paralympics is a different animal from anything else we do, but if we work through our routines we know we can do well.”