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For the new Mixed Two Person Dinghy event at Paris 2024, for everyone that has paired up in the 470 Class for this new Olympic event, they can all exhale now. Triple Olympic medalist Mat Belcher OAM has announced his retirement from Olympic sailing.
Australia’s most successful Olympic sailor, Belcher had been considering a tilt at the new Mixed 470 class at the Paris 2024 games before calling time on his decorated career. Belcher represented Australia at three Olympic Games and returned with a haul of two Gold and one Silver medal.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision, I have been a member of this team for the past 22 years so closing that chapter was not a decision I took lightly,” said Belcher.
“I have been so lucky. I have sailed with some of the greatest athletes in the world, been a part of such a successful team and have been coached by some of the greats including Victor (Kovalenko). It has been a long and rewarding journey, but I am now 40-years old with a young family so the time is right for me to move on to the next phase of my life.”
Belcher began his career campaigning in the 470 class under Kovalenko immediately after he had coached Tom King OAM and Mark Turnbull OAM to Gold at the Sydney Olympics. Belcher was forced to wait his time to get his chance to compete at an Olympics, but when it came at London 2012 he and crew Malcolm Page OAM rode the wave of Aussie success at Weymouth to a long-awaited Gold Medal…
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