45 year-old, five times medallist will run to represent Brazil in the Laser class to the next Olympic Games
Robert Scheidt is on the hunt for a potential 6th Olympic Medal. The 45-year-old athlete is campaigning for the Tokyo Games in 2020 in the Laser class. In the Laser he won his first three medals, he is the perfect Laser sailor and he is confident to be in shape to reach his seventh consecutive Olympics.
"I started thinking about this in September, when I began training with other Laser sailors. I sailed well, my body was in good shape. I have gradually resumed training and doing the specific physical preparation. Instead of training three and a half hours, I will go for a little less, but with more quality. I will have to deal with pain, inevitably, but I know that the head pulls the body," he explained. "I hope it will be a positive surprise."
Scheidt began his Olympic career in Atlanta in 1996. He won the gold medal in the Laser class, then went silver four years later at the Sydney Games in Australia, and won again the highest place on the podium in 2004 in Athens, always in the Laser class. In Beijing-2008, it was silver in the Star and so in London-2012 where he won the bronze medal. His worst place in history was fourth place in the Rio 2016 Games, when he moved back to the Laser after World Sailing cancelled the Star from the Games.
"I still have a lot of fun sailing and I believe I can be competitive. This is critical to this project. It will not be easy, I will face some ups and downs, but I think I have a chance to fight for the vacancy and try to compete for another Olympics. I have no injuries that prevent me from competing. The important thing is learning what kind of pain you are feeling" he said.
The Brazilian sailor is considered a living legend of sailing and hopes to live up to the expectations. One factor that helped to weigh in his decision was his participation in the Copa de Vela Cup, at the end of last year, in Florianópolis, when he won the silver medal in the Laser Class (lost the tie with Bruno Fontes), beating athletes 20 and even more years younger.
"Age is not an impediment, I have to use the experience I have acquired in all these years. Of course the preparation will have to be different, I have to be smart" said the sailor, who will have his first mission at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma de Mallorca in March. He will then try to compete at the event in Hyeres, France, and also the Japan Laser World Cup in July, which is important for the selection for the Olympics.
"For this first event in Palma de Mallorca I will not have support from the Brazilian Sailing Confederation or the COB (Brazilian Olympic Committee). I have the sponsorship of Banco do Brasil and Rolex. I believe the COB staff will call me if everything goes well and I hope it’ll happen. I know it will be an extremely difficult competition with more than 200 boats in Palma" he concluded.
SSL Press Officer since 2015