September 7, 2023
3 minutes reading time
The Hague, The Netherlands is hosting the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships from 11th to 20th August 2023. More than 1200 sailors from 80 nations are racing across ten Olympic sailing disciplines. Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition places will be awarded as well as 10 World Championship medals
Credit: Sailing Energy / World Sailing. 20 August 2023.
First step to the top step: Maria Erdi achieves her dream of becoming World Champion
As Maria Erdi of Hungary climbed the podium on the beaches of The Hague to receive her ILCA 6 gold medal last month, it was the culmination of a lifetime’s effort, a long journey that she admits has not been easy. In collecting the final gold of the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships she proved the value of hard work and determination.
Maria was part of World Sailing’s Youth Emerging Nations Program (ENP) in Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2015, and progressed to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where she finished 14th.
The Emerging Nation Program was developed in 2015 to help support promising sailors from nations where support for sailing programs is less established. It aims to narrow the performance gap and make the highest level of the sport more accessible to all.
Maria proved she had the talent early in her career, frequently delivering top 10 results in senior fleet races at the age of just 18, but injury set her back and it has been a long road back to the top.
She followed up her performance in Brazil with a 13th place finish at Tokyo 2020, but two years on from the Games – and just one year out from Paris 2024 – she is now ranked 11th in the world and is the new ILCA 6 World Champion.
“I’m a world champion, which sounds pretty amazing. I’m very happy for my family, my friends and for my small support staff that I have back in Hungary. I’m just very proud of the work we have been doing with my coach. I was hoping and believing that I will get here one day. The day has finally arrived and I’m just over the moon,” she says.
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Maria’s success highlights the importance of World Sailing’s Emerging Nations Program as the global governing body for the sport aims to grow participation and support talented sailors to reach the top.
The Hungarian Sailing Federation has moved on from the Emerging Natons Program having put in place development programs of its own, creating pathways for the next generation of sailors to progress and, hopefully, follow in Maria’s footsteps.
Catherine Duncan, World Sailing Training and Development Executive, said, “Our goal has always been to achieve improved performances at major events, such as the Sailing World Championships, World Cups and the Olympic Games. Maria’s story shows that it is possible to reach the pinnacle of the sport and take the experience of the Emerging Nations Program onward throughout a career on the water.”
Prior to the Allianz Sailing World Championships in The Hague, 44 athletes from 27 nations joined the Emerging Nations Program Coaching Group and received pre-event training from experienced coaches to prepare for the Championships, as well as coaching during the event itself.
“The ENP provides an opportunity for sailors to learn from each other, and from experienced coaches who have been involved in the sport at the highest level. For some this might the only time in the year where they are able to have access to this experience. Resources can be scarce, but World Sailing can support the athletes so that they can compete on the world stage,” says Duncan.
The training each athlete receives also has the potential to grow national sailing programs in their home country as they become role models for those behind them. Coaching clinics organised by World Sailing support this vision and help to build the pathways for sustainable development in the sport all across the globe.
Duncan added, “The Emerging Nations Program is not focused on medals and results; it is about creating opportunities and building a legacy. Education around fitness and nutrition, the chance to be part of a diverse fleet and see the best sailors in action offers the chance to take these lessons away, improve and return several years later to compete for honours.
“We are delighted for Maria. She has shown that hard work pays off and that the Emerging Nations Program has a vital role to play in the growth of the sport.”