Miami native, UM graduate qualifies for Paris Olympics in windsurfing
Miami’s Dominique Stater switched from kite-surfing back to windsurfing two years ago and the decision paid off Saturday when she qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a dominant victory in the U.S. Olympic Trials for sailing at the Miami Yacht Club.
Stater, a Miami native and University of Miami graduate, led throughout most of the seven-day regatta that featured 97 athletes and 61 boats and boards. Stater finished with two first places and three second places in the final five races in choppy 15-knot conditions to earn her first ticket to the Summer Olympics in the iQFOIL class — a windsurfer that zips across the water with a hydrofoil just under the water’s surface.
“When the foil came out I really fell in love with it and re-committed to windsurfing. When you’re going 26 knots it feels like you’re flying,” said Stater, who has been sailing since age 10 wherever her U.S. diplomat father was based, mostly in Argentina. “It’s been a long, demanding week and I’m feeling relieved and excited to achieve a big dream.”
Ian Barrows and Hans Henken won the men’s 49er class with 32 points and will be first-time Olympians representing the U.S. in Marseilles, France, where the 10 classes of sailing will be held July 28-Aug. 8.
“Sailing the 49er is like dancing ballet -- you have to be in perfect sync,” Barrows said. “We’ve been together three years and now we’ve achieved a lifetime goal.”
The other three classes contested since Jan. 6 in wildly varying conditions and steep waves must still qualify Olympic slots for the U.S.
Noah Lyons, who won the men’s windsurfing regatta, is confident the U.S. will get it in April at the Last Chance Regatta in Hyeres, France. Lyons, of Clearwater, defeated runnerup Geronimo Nores of the Miami Yacht Club by one point. Tokyo Olympian Pedro Pascual of Miami finished fourth.
“I had to beat Geronimo in one race today and ease my way home in the other three,” Lyons said. “We had champagne sailing today, but it was very tight and especially stressful when you’re trying to beat your teammates and friends.”
Four-time Olympian Stuart McNay, who trains in Miami, won the mixed 470 with Lara Dallman-Weiss by one point racing off South Beach. McNay was competing against his former partner David Hughes and Dallman-Weiss was competing against her former partner Nikole Barnes. The men’s and women’s 470 disciplines went mixed for Paris.
“We’ve come a long way in one year together,” McNay said. “Our goal is to win a medal.”
Said Dallman-Weiss: “This is the longest regatta I’ve done and it was a mentally challenging week with atypical Miami weather. You learn to be uncomfortable and lean on each other.”
Markus Edegran of the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco won the men’s Formula Kite (foiling kiteboard) by 10 points. The kite regatta was held off Crandon Park beach.
The Olympic Trials for sailing return to Miami Yacht Club Feb. 17-24 in the men’s and women’s ILCA 7 and 6 class (formerly Laser and Laser Radial).
