According to Michael Charlebois of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Sarah Douglas of Burlington, Ontario won the gold medal in a World Cup sailing event in Mallorca, Spain on Friday. She placed first in the laser radial.
Douglas had 28 net points to take the title. Hannah Snellgrove of Great Britain had 59 net points to win the silver medal, and Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece had 62 net points to win the bronze medal.
In the qualification rounds, Douglas was marvelous, as she won the second, third and fourth races. By the time the ninth race of the competition was set to begin, Douglas was in complete control as she had a 25 point lead over her nearest competitor.
This is the first World Cup medal for Douglas. She did win gold for Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and finished in sixth place in the laser radial class at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
The gold medal for Douglas will give her confidence as she prepares for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In all, Canada has won nine medals in sailing at the Olympic Games (three silver medals and six bronze medals). The last Olympic sailing medal for Canada was a silver in the men’s star event by Ross MacDonald of Vancouver, British Columbia and Mike Wolfs of Port Credit, Ontario at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
