No Limitations For Penruddocke, Says Coach
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Sailing coach Shaun Priestley said Adriana Penruddocke is adopting a motto of “no expectations, no limitations” as she prepares to start her Olympic campaign at the Paris Games.
The 24-year-old will continue Bermuda’s proud Olympic sailing tradition following in the sails of Peter Bromby, Paula Lewin, Peta White [Lewin], Christine Patton, Kirk Cooper, Howard Lee, Penny Simmons and many more.
Although Penruddocke is among the youngest sailors in the women’s dinghy ILCA 6 fleet at the Marseille Marina, where the sailing events will be held, Priestley believes she can hold her own against the best in the right conditions.
“Our theme for Paris is to go into the event with no expectations and no limitations,” Priestley told Bernews.
“We want her to push hard and do well. However, we know the other girls, especially the medal threats in the top ten, have much more experience.
“It would be dangerous to set too high an expectation and for Adriana to feel disappointed.
“If things click for her, though, that’s wonderful. In strong winds, she’s world-class. Technically, she’s extremely fast, especially upwind.
“Her dedication and commitment are to be admired and the reason all her other areas are catching up quickly.”
Having spent May and June honing her skills in the Marseille Marina, Penruddocke should be well acclimatised to the conditions.
“It’s about Adriana feeling comfortable in the venue, feeling fast on the water, and happy in her boat,” said Priestley, who also trains Bermudian sailor Sebastian Kempe and has worked with Campbell Patton.
“We’ve joined in practice events [in Marseille] and built up some data.
“Some of the bigger teams have been based here for four years, but we’ve had an opportunity to learn as much as possible.
“One thing that may play to our advantage is the random nature of the venue, which could help Adriana.”
Penruddocke qualified after finishing sixth in her final race at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last year to seal one of the available North American Olympic places.
Paris has come earlier than she anticipated, initially eyeing the Los Angeles Games in 2028 as her likely Olympic debut.
“We’re in a project targeting 2028,” said Priestley, a former Bermuda resident and Royal Bermuda Yacht Club coach.
“We believe Adriana will peak in four years. Her age and experience suggest Los Angeles will be her biggest opportunity.
“We hadn’t pinned our hopes on Paris, but it’s come along and that’s fantastic!
“We’ve not tried to cut any corners to reach the Olympics early, though. We’ve built a solid foundation that we can improve upon throughout the next four-year cycle.”
Penruddocke starts her event on Thursday [August 1], with the top ten sailors in her class advancing to the medal race on August 6.
Bernews will be providing comprehensive coverage of Bermuda’s athletes in the coming weeks.
- View the ‘Best Interview The Best’ series here
- View profiles of all ten athletes representing Bermuda here
- View our dedicated website Bermuda2024.com here
- View all our articles on the Bermuda 2024 Games here on Bernews
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