A wild card selection has Virgin Islands board sailor Paul Stoeken heading to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Stoeken represented the V.I. at the 1996 Games in Atlanta finishing exactly in the middle of the 46 boat fleet. He has been active since then with the World Championship in 1997, the CAC Games in 1998 and the Pan Am Games in 1999. Due to the evolution of the nature of the Olympic Games, there will be fewer board sailors at the 2000 games, with only 36 to 38 sailors expected to be invited.
When asked about his experiences in 1996 and changes for 2000, Stoeken said, "I was mentally ready in '96 but really underestimated the physical demands of the sport at that level. After the games they rated the toughest physical sports and windsurfing rated third behind gymnastics and water polo. These guys are pumping (the sail) all the time, whether it is blowing six or 30 and I have to be ready for that this time."
At the age of 25, the five-foot seven inch, 145-pound Stoeken is working with a personal trainer to be at peak form for the Olympics in August. "The perfect shape for this class would be a six-footer weighing about 165," said Stoeken, "but the two-time world champion is almost exactly my size, so it can't be too much of a disadvantage."
The events ahead will keep Stoeken in the thick of competition. His schedule includes the European Championships in Spain, followed by the Windsurfing World Festival in Sicily. He returns to the V.I. for fund-raising in June followed by the B.V.I. HI-HO event in July. Before going 'down under' for the Olympics in August, he goes to California for the North American Championships.
Stoeken knows most of the competition. "There will be about six guys that are world champions sailing and everyone I recognize on the list of competitors could take a first on any day of the racing," said Stoeken, "I have finished races ahead of most of these guys, and they have beat me too, my plan is to sail my personal best and if a little luck comes my way I could be very close to the top."
