By Neto Baptiste
Antigua and Barbuda’s Kite-boarder Tiger Tyson will jumpstart his bid to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games next week when he competes at the 2023 World Sailing Championships in the Netherlands.
Tyson, speaking recently on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, said he is currently in Hague acclimatising as he seeks to become one of the eight athletes who will qualify from this meet.
He said there will however be another opportunity at the Pan American Games in Chile at end of October.
“By the end of the year I will be qualified, hopefully, but if not, there is a last chance regatta next year in France where the remaining five countries can qualify from around the world, but for now we are aiming at being in the top eight countries at this World Championships,” he said.
The Antiguan said that under the tutelage of his new coach, Ed Vieyetes, he has been preparing rigorously for the upcoming World Sailing Championships as the sport has evolved into something a lot more technical.
“We went to Brazil last year to train with him in his home spot and the coaching is mainly to help us with the coaching tactics. Before, the sport was just about kiting and we were kind of doing everything by ourselves, but now that the Olympics is coming up in the last couple of years, everybody is getting sailing coaches because you need to know the tactics. So, for me, that was one of the big parts where I could improve. My coach is helping me a lot with how to start, where to start, where you can go on the course and all the rest of it,” the athlete said.
Tyson, who had previously appealed for corporate sponsorship, said he continues to hunt for a major partner where finances are concerned.
“Compared to the big countries like England and France where all their athletes are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth in equipment. The positive side to that is you can test all these different kites and foils and boards because each kite is different, they are all handmade, so it’s important to find which ones are the best. I haven’t really been able to do that and I’ve been surviving pretty much off the minimum of what is required. So, I am always looking for sponsors to help me and mainly just for equipment, training and travelling because it all adds up,” he said.
This will be the sixth edition of the Sailing World Championships. It is the world championships for all disciplines used at the next Olympics, and for four parasailing classes.