Anglesey sailor Eifion Mon will pick up his ‘A’ Level results on next Thursday – and then catch a flight out to Beijing to be part of the British team at the Olympics.
The 18-year-old is part Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012 programme for athletes singled out as future Olympians, watching at first hand so they can gain experience of what it will be like to compete.
Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones pupil Mon has got one of the three places for up-and-coming British sailors to go out and be part of the British team competing in Qingdao in China.
It marks him out as a contender for 2012, but in the meantime he also has his ‘A’ Level results to worry about the same day as he hopes to go on to Southampton University to study physics.
There are no Welsh competitors in the Olympics sailing team, but Mon is one of a group of talented youngsters hoping to put that right next time round.
“We will fly out to Beijing, then onto the British training camp at Macao and then Qingdao where the Olympics sailing is being held,” said Mon, who has just come back from finishing third in Europe at Under 18’s level in the Laser class of boat.
“It is to see what I would be doing if I was an athlete at the Games – it is like being part of the British Olympic team but without actually competing.”
While selection for this programme clearly marks Mon out as a hope for the 2012 London Olympics, he feels his best chances will come in 2016.
“Getting into the British team is so competitive, but I feel I will be in my prime in 2016 and so hopefully will be able to challenge for a medal then.
“However next week will be so priceless, which is why they are running the programme.
“They do not want the athletes to be over-awed at the Olympics which is possible if you have never been before. Hopefully it will help us be on the ball when we do get there.
“I have already been to a world championships, but the Olympics is something else and I have never even watched it on telly before because I have usually been out sailing – so being there will be exciting.”
Before that, Mon has the small matter of picking up his ‘A’ Level results.
“I need to do that on the Thursday morning before heading off to Heathrow for the flight,” he explained, having taken the exams in physics, maths and chemistry.
“It will be a bit tight – I will be waiting outside the school gates when they open.”
The exam results will be the most pressure he feels on Thursday, but there is plenty of that in store for his sailing career.
“These games will be my joyous Olympics, then hopefully the next time I am there I will be under pressure to try and get a medal,” he said.
For more information:
Hamish Stuart
RYA Wales regional communicator
Tel: 07914 873451
Email: Hamish@score-media.co.uk
Image credit:
Richard Langdon