US Sailing Team at the 2024 Trofeo Princesa Sofía - Roble and Shea to represent USA at Paris 2024

by US Sailing Team 7 Apr 07:11 NZDT April 1-6, 2024

Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea to Represent USA at Paris 2024 in the 49erFX © US Sailing Team

Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, IL) have officially confirmed their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 49erFX today after light wind prevented the running of one last medal race.

Scores from day five hold, with Roble and Shea finishing 10th overall and their US competition Paris Henken and Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias finishing 9th.

The 49erFX selection was decided by the combined finishing positions of two events with the lowest score winning nomination to Team USA: the 49erFX World Championship in Lanzarote, Spain last month and the Trofeo Princesa Sofía this week in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Roble and Shea finished with 21 total points after earning 11 at the World Championships, and 10 from this week's finish. Henken and Tunnicliffe Tobias began the week with 26 points and ended selection with 35 total points after a 9th place finish.

"We've been sailing together for eight years in the 49erFX so securing our second Olympic ticket together is a huge honor," said Roble. "Now we'll take some time to rest and reflect on what needs to be done between now and the Olympics, and make the most out of the next four months so we can aim to bring home a medal for Team USA. We'd like to say a huge thank you to our amazing team and network of supporters. We wouldn't be able to do this without them."

"I'm so honored for the opportunity to represent Team USA and compete on the US Olympic Team and there were so many people who made it possible for us to get to this point," added Shea. "I'm grateful and excited for a second chance to deliver our best performance on the Olympic stage. We've learned so much in the last three years since Tokyo and in our eight years sailing the FX together. It's rare that you get a second crack at things in life and I'm really thankful for that chance."

In a nail-biting light-air medal series, Daniela Moroz finished her third Trofeo Princesa Sofía with a Silver medal. Moroz held first all week but pushed the starting line in the finals and was hit with two UFDs which landed her in 2nd to Australia's Breiana Whitehead.

"It was a really good regatta overall," said Moroz, USST athlete and Paris 2024 Nominee in the Women's Formula Kite. "I'm happy with everything and I think my team and I have done a good job of making the most out of every single lesson and taking all the value out of these experiences. It's been a busy few weeks with the European Championships right before this but we've learned so much. This puts us in a good spot heading into the Games."

After a light and challenging medal race in the 49er class, USST athletes Andrew Mollerus & Ian MacDiarmid finished eighth, adding 16 points to their scorecard. Mollerus / MacDiarmid finished fourth overall, missing the podium after holding a consistent third overall for three days in a row.

"We are super happy with the week," said MacDiarmid. "Keeping the red jerseys [signifying a third overall standing] for three days is a great notch in our belt, and we were working well as a team which opened up some new gears in the speed. We're going to use the lessons of this World Cup as a springboard to the Europeans. We're stoked!"

Both US Nacra 17 teams ended the first regatta of their two-event selection process yesterday before the start of the medal races. US Sailing Team's Sarah Newberry Moore and David Liebenberg finished the Trofeo Princesa Sofía in 25th place, while Carson Crain and Lindsay Gimple finished in 33rd. The second and final event of their Paris selection will take place at the Nacra 17 World Championship in La Grand-Motte, France May 7-12. Read more about how the Nacra 17 team will be selected for Paris 2024 HERE.

USA Final Results:

Women's Formula Kite

2nd - Daniela Moroz, US Sailing Team & Paris 2024 Nominee

49erFX

9th - Paris Henken (Rio 2016) & Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias (Beijing 2008 & London 2012)
10th - Stephanie Roble (Tokyo 2020) & Maggie Shea (Tokyo 2020), US Sailing Team

Nacra 17