Trio of Canadian sailors earn qualification to compete in Paris for Olympic Games

Canadian sailors Sarah Douglas, Will Jones and Justin Barnes have qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Toronto ILCA 6 sailor Douglas and the 49er duo of Jones from Jerseyville, Ont., and Barnes from Pickering, Ont., met criteria to be named to the Canadian Olympic team at the Princess Sofia Trophy Regatta that concludes Saturday in Palma, Spain.

Douglas, 30, placed sixth in Tokyo's Olympic Games in 2021. A rank of 17th in Palma and finishing 26th in the world championship in January secured her a women's ILCA 6 berth in Paris.

"[If] you would have told 16-year-old Sarah that she was going to two Olympics, she wouldn't have believed it. I'm just really proud that all the hard work and dedication has really come through, and I hope to represent Canada to the best of my ability."

Jones and Barnes outpointed Arie Moffat of Kingston, Ont., and Hunter Hoy of Kirkland, Que., across two qualifying regattas for a trip to Paris.

3 Canadians prequalify for Canadian Olympic team on Saturday

On Saturday, three Canadians prequalified to be nominated on the Canadian Olympic sailing team in Paris, but their qualification is conditional on whether Canada earns an Olympic spot in their respective classes at the Last Change Regatta in France from April 21-28.

Luke Ruitenberg of St. Margaret's Bay, N.S., prequalified in the ILCA 7 category after a 54th-place finish in Palma.

"It's a relief for sure, but the job isn't done yet," said Ruitenberg to Sail Voile Canada. "We still have another event, the Last Chance Regatta in two weeks in France, to qualify the country. But, I'm happy with this result and looking forward to do that with the team in a few weeks."

Nikola Girke of West Vancouver, B.C., prequalified in the women's iQfoil with a 68th-place finsih and Vancouver's Cyrus Lai prequalified in the men's iQfoil.