Halifax’s Gillis just misses qualifying for Olympics

Halifax sailor Madeline Gillis came achingly close to qualifying for this summer’s Olympic Games but missed out by a single point at a last chance regatta in France.

Gillis, who sails out of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, and her Narca 17 partner Galen Richardson of Toronto headed into the medal race at the French Olympic Week sailing competition in Hyeres trailing thirdplace Belgium by nine points and fourth-place Japan by three. The duo needed to finish two places ahead of Japan to secure Canada a spot at the Paris Games.

“Our strategy for the race was to keep it simple and race like we know we can," Gillis said in a Sail Canada news release. “The medal race was tight and we fell one point short of qualifying our country. It is devastating to be so close. Being one point away from qualifying for the Olympic Games is unbelievably hard to take in. We know that we fought hard for every single point this week and left it all out on the race course.

“We have so much to be proud of, and so much to look forward to. We are so fortunate that losing this qualifier is not the end for us, it’s the beginning. Our journey towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games begins today.”

The French Olympic Week event, which concluded on Saturday, was held simultaneously with the last chance regatta, which was the final opportunity for countries to qualify spots for Paris.

As it stands now, Canada will be in action in four events at the 2024 Olympic Games, including Chester sisters Antonia and Georgia Lewin-lafrance in 49erfx. Toronto’s Sarah Douglas (ILCA 6) and Will Jones of Aldershot, Ont., and Justin Barnes of Pickering, Ont., (49er) have also qualified. A spot in women’s kiteboarding will be selected following the Formula Kite World Championships next month in Hyeres.