Statement from the International Finn Association after World Sailing AGM
by Balazs Hajdu, IFA President 4 Nov 2018 20:02 GMT
4 November 2018
After the use of the Firefly at Torquay, for the 1952 Olympic Regatta the Finn was selected – and has been there ever since! © Henshall
The International Finn Association (IFA) is extremely disappointed to see the decision taken today at the World Sailing AGM in Sarasota, USA, to exclude any event options for the Finn in favour of adopting the Mixed Two-Person Keelboat.
Most of all we are very disappointed for the many committed Finn sailors affected by this decision, especially the young sailors who have had their campaign ambitions for 2024 cruelly shattered.
We feel the Finn class has become collateral damage in the quest for gender equality and Olympic TV rights income for World Sailing.
It is a great injustice that many of the best athletes in the sport of sailing no longer have an avenue to the Olympics, and we honestly feel the Olympics will be poorer as a result of the exclusion of the Finn.
We know the Finn class will continue to thrive and for the time being we will focus on supporting our athletes as they prepare for Tokyo 2020. In the coming months, the IFA will work towards finding a way back for the Finn on the Olympic programme.