Sailing World Championships: Micky Beckett takes 'massive step' towards Olympics with ILCA 7 silver

Micky Beckett's ILCA 7 silver was his first medal at a Sailing World Championships

Micky Beckett enjoyed a memorable double at the Sailing World Championships in the Netherlands.

He won ILCA 7 silver in The Hague and with it achieved the Olympic qualifying standard needed to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Games in Paris.

The 28-year-old from Solva in Pembrokeshire is now highly likely to be selected for the Olympics.

"It's my first ever World Championships medal, which is a massive step for me," said Beckett.

"In the UK, sailing has a massive reputation at the Olympics. Culturally, sailing is massive for the UK so to be part of that and get a spot at the Olympics is really important. It's something I'm proud to achieve.

"Matthew Wearn (of Australia), who beat me, was also the man who beat me at the test event (in Marseille in July). On both occasions we were right there and at the very last point he just showed a little bit more strength than me, so it shows exactly what I've got to go away and do.

"But it also shows that I'm not very far away from the front, the devil is in the detail, and I need to go away and get better and that's something I'm pretty determined to do".

Beckett's Olympic selection now needs to be confirmed by the Royal Yachting Association.

"The unfortunate nature of sailing is that only one person from each country goes (to the Olympics)," added Beckett.

"So you can be the second best person in the world, but if the best person is from the same country as you, you're not going to represent your country at the Olympics, which is just the nature of the beast.

"We have a fantastic squad that get along really well and we push each other and that's part of the reason I'm able to get a medal at a World Championships, thanks to the other British guys who I've trained with.

"Without them I'd be, to be honest, useless, but we also know it's one spot per country and that's just something we have to deal with. We do events like this and then a group of wise committee people sit down and decide what they want to do and that's for them not me."

Solva support

Beckett began competing aged 10 after learning to sail on his father's hand-made boat and is grateful for all the support he has received in west Wales.

"I remember every single day down in Solva in Pembrokeshire, every day I get changed in a Welsh-flag towel," he said.

"The support is massive, every time I go home people are so interested in what I do. They're so passionate about it. They may not even know that much about sailing but everyone is just giving me every little bit of support they can. It means a lot.

"Wales is a community place. I went to a small school, my dad was a sailing instructor and mum was a teacher. To come from there and to come to a big place like this (The Hague) and try to take on the world, you've got something special behind you."