Keep riding the wave
2020 Olympics delayed, but windsurfer Hall ‘thrilled’ to represent US once again
Farrah Hall is passionate about windsurfing. The Annapolis native has devoted more than a decade of her life to the sport.
In February, Hall qualified to represent the United States in the Olympics for the second time in her career. She earned U.S. Sailing’s lone female berth in the RS:X class by winning a qualifying series consisting of three regattas.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to represent the U.S. at the Olympics again,” Hall said after securing the berth. “The last few months have been really hard, so now that this extensive travel period and selection events are over, I have some breathing room to focus on preparing for the Games.
“I’m really happy I have stayed in it for so long and keep fighting. Sometimes I surprise myself when I think about how long I’ve been dedicated to this. In that respect, I’m proud of myself. I’ve sacrificed a lot of certainty and stability to pursue this goal, but the trade-off has been worth it.”
Hall previously competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, finishing 20th in a field of 26. Marion Lepert represented the U.S. in RS:X class at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and placed 16th out of 26.
Undeterred, Hall chose to continue her campaign for one more cycle and was rewarded with another Olympic berth. She was training for the 2020 Olympic Sailing Regatta, being held in Enoshima, Japan, when the coronavirus pandemic exploded.
Hall currently resides in Brest, France, awith her husband, and that country has been under strict quarantine for more than