Windsurfer Shaw sets sail for London

Bryony Shaw of Britain reacts after winning bronze in the women's RS:X sailing competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao on Aug 20, 2008. London-born Shaw, whose strength to cope with the physical demands of windsurfing belies her slightly built but well-toned frame, exudes confidence. Peter Andrews / Reuters

Three years on from the Beijing Olympic Games, where she was seen as a light-wind specialist suited to the conditions, the British athlete is now more of an all-rounder.

Bryony Shaw is adamant she will never swear live on television again, even if her emotions get the better of her at next year's Olympic regatta.

"Absolutely not," laughed the British windsurfer, who will be among the gold-medal favourites in Weymouth next year.

The 28-year-old made the gaffe in expressing her delight moments after securing an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Games in Qingdao.

"A lot of people said to me: 'Wow, it was a great interview, you were so emotional'," she told Reuters.

"I had just finished the race and in some ways I don't really regret it because it was my feelings at the time. Maybe if I'd had a bit more time to chill out, take a few breaths and been a bit more professional about the whole thing ... but it's not often we get interviews as windsurfers."

London-born Shaw, whose strength to cope with the physical demands of windsurfing belies her slightly built but well-toned frame, exudes confidence.

Three years on from the China Games, where she was seen as a light-wind specialist suited to the conditions in Qingdao, Shaw said she was now more of an all-rounder.

"Looking at Weymouth you have to be much more of an all-rounder because any kind of wind system can be coming through.

"It's been a bit of an evolutionary process for me ... a four-year plan to kind of reinvent me ... getting a bit more of a finesse element going on in my sailing.

Close rivals

"I've learned a lot in the last couple of years. I have a lot of determination ... I'm very much a focused, gritty competitor."

Her quest for gold in 2012 has taken an unusual path -- she trains regularly with some of her closest rivals, including Spaniard Marina Alabau who at world No 3 is one place below the Englishwoman.

"It's unheard of in other sports really," said Shaw.

"We rig our sails up together ... talk about the day, what goals we want to get out of the day and very much share equipment testing ... it's quite an open relationship ... it's quite a unique thing."

The saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies even closer' appears pertinent in this instance.

"As the sole female windsurfer in the performance team, there are some younger (British) girls I can train with but they are not always around ... they are at university and things like that so my program and my relationship with my enemies, as it were, the foreigners, is actually vital to keeping ahead of the game," she explained.

The friendships are parked back on land in the heat of competition.

"You're not going to give them an ounce of leeway ... around the racetrack there are certain incidents that take place ... everyone knows racing is racing."

Pursuing her Olympic dream in a niche sport away from the media spotlight leaves Shaw "scratching a living". She is grateful, though, to her sponsors for supporting her and allowing her to lead the lifestyle that her sport provides.

Royal inspiration

"Because we don't have the media interest, I feel like I'm having to push myself and sell myself and my image and my brand," she said.

"But winning bronze at the last Games has very much kept my appetite there. I haven't got that gold medal yet and I love the lifestyle.

"I do feel very lucky that I can do this as my job ... It was my hobby as a 15-year-old and I absolutely adore the sport. Even in my off periods I'll go windsurfing on holiday."

She rarely gets down but still draws inspiration from a pep talk from visiting British royal Princess Anne halfway through the last Olympics which dragged her "out of the dumps" following a disastrous fifth race when she false started.

Princess Anne, president of the Royal Yachting Association, told Shaw over dinner not to dwell on misfortune.

"She told me I still had this great opportunity still ahead of me ... She spoke about her (equestrian) daughter Zara not being able to compete; it just brought me down to earth a little bit and refocused me in a real positive way," she recalled.

A disappointing regatta in Palma, Majorca, last month, when Shaw had board problems and could only finish 14th was a wake-up call that has also forced her to refocus.

"I hadn't been out of the top 10 for a long time," she mused.

Shaw will want to quickly get back in the groove for the Sail for Gold regatta which gets underway in Weymouth on June 6 when a good performance will pave the way for Olympic selection.

Reuters

(China Daily 06/04/2011 page11)