2020 Tokyo Olympics Quest

2023 Update

Changing Course Post Tokyo Olympics

“This year in Europe, things just didn't quite come together. 

“After careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to redirect our energy towards other types of sailing and aspects of life, ultimately stepping back from our pursuit of the Paris Olympics. While this transition has been challenging, I am feeling excited about what lies ahead. Of course, I'll always have pursuits on and beyond the water, and I've set some new goals for myself. I am thrilled to share that I will compete in the Waszp International Games at Sorrento, my home club. Waszp is an individual single-handed, hydrofoiling sailing boat. To prepare for this exciting challenge, I've started a training group that fosters a fun and supportive environment for learning new skills. In addition to my Waszp pursuits, I have been actively involved in wing foiling as a means of cross-training. This has added a new dimension to my sailing journey and keeps me motivated to improve my skills.

“Your support not only helped me reach the Tokyo Olympics and beyond but also opened doors to other opportunities. I've had the privilege of being a public speaker at the Australian Sports Museum's ‘Meet an Olympian’ program and visiting numerous schools to share my journey and inspire young minds. I have also been selected via the Australian Olympic Committee to take part in an ‘Australian Institute of Company Directors Course, EOI’ to learn and eventually sit on some boards in the future.

“I have also taken on the role of coaching young female sailors at the Victorian Institute of Sport to inspire and nurture the next generation of athletes. It's a rewarding experience to share my knowledge and passion with them, and I'm excited about the potential impact we can make together.”

Tess Lloyd

2022 Update

Jaime and Tess qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, spent some time in Europe training and then competed heroically in Enoshima, Japan, finishing 13th overall with New Zealand 12th and USA 11th.

“What a crazy couple of months it has been. 

Our Tokyo Olympic quest is over and we can’t believe how quickly it just comes and goes, but what a special experience it was! 

Feeling like many other athletes and the nature of professional sport… we wanted better and more perfection, but we believe we put everything we had into our Olympic preparation and our Olympic performance. After the games we both mentioned how proud we were of how hard we worked towards our goals and we left no stone unturned. I’m sure you would have seen on the TV, the standards at the games was just amazing and we felt honoured to be a part of it.”

Tess and Jaime

Tess Lloyd and Jaime Ryan, both very experienced sailors, teamed up to campaign for selection to represent Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They had only been sailing together in the 29er FX for two years, although Jaime had represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 470 class.

When they approached the Trust for sponsorship in November 2019, they had two regattas remaining at which they could qualify for Tokyo: the 2019 World Championships in Auckland, and the 2020 World Championships in Geelong. To give them the best chance of success at these events, they sought Trust funding to contribute to the cost of sails and masts.

They had a disappointing result in Auckland, but stormed back in Geelong to finish in 10th position. On completion of this event their selection for Tokyo was announced.

The Tokyo Olympics have, of course, been postponed to 2021 – so Tess and Jaime have another twelve months on the water and in the gym to get ready for it.