How you can #Backthebid

World Sailing has launched a global campaign for sailing to be reinstated at the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

Why Para Sailing needs support

Sailing is a sport for all. Para sailing has been present at every Paralympic Games from its debut as an exhibition sport in Atlanta 1996 through to its final appearance at Rio 2016, before being dropped for Tokyo 2020.

World Sailing has modernised the sport to meet the five key guiding principles for the Paralympic Games:

• Excellence– The Paralympic Games should constitute the highest level of competition for each sport, with participation of the world’s best athletes.
• Diversity– The Paralympic Games provide athletes with varying types/ranges of impairment the opportunity to compete within an event programme that ensures the participation of athletes with high support needs and offers opportunities for male and female athletes.
• Universality– The Paralympic Games include athletes from all regions of the world, representing the maximum possible number of National Paralympic Committees.
• Integrity– The Paralympic Games feature well-governed, clean, fair and safe competition, with excellence in judging and officiating.
• Sustainability– The Paralympic Games showcase Para sports with a depth and strength of field that ensure high quality events from one Paralympic Games edition to the next.

Key Para Sailing statistics

• 750 para sailors are registered with World Sailing
• 15% of registered para sailors are under the age of 30
• 20% of registered para sailors are female

Progress so far

Since the #BacktheBid campaign began in October 2021 the global sailing community has shown its support for sailing to be reinstated. High profile sailors from around the world have publicly endorsed the campaign, written letters of support and used social media to engage with followers and spread the message.

Focusing on diversity, inclusion, affordability, development, and increasing the number of open and Para Sailing events are all part of World Sailing’s framework to build on the success of Para Sailing. The Para World Sailing Strategy 2020-23 can be viewed here.

How can I get involved?

We are encouraging all MNAs, sailors and fans to use their social media platforms to #BacktheBid. We have been asking sailors at all events (Para and Non-Para) to take photographs with signs to #BacktheBid and #SailToLA. These signs can be as simple as a message written on cardboard, as long as it’s readable!

Sharing these images across social media to followers can create great momentum and awareness of the bid.

Tag World Sailing and Para World Sailing on social media and your content may be shared by our accounts:

• Facebook: World Sailing and Para World Sailing
• Twitter: World Sailing and Para World Sailing
• Instagram: World Sailing and Para World Sailing

The World Sailing media team will be compiling footage from all around the world to use in our own social media content – please send in your own to content@sailing.org. For large files, we recommend using WeTransfer.com.