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Hobart graduate wins gold
September 1, 2006
PORTSMOUTH, R.I.— US Sailing Team member and Hobart graduate Andy Horton ’98 (Newport, R.I.) took home a gold medal in the Star class, along with teammate Brad Nichol, in an Olympic Test Event at The Good Luck Beijing-2006 Qingdao International Regatta last week.
Horton cited his days as a Statesman when talking about the win, saying that while sailing in college he learned how to race short, powerful sprints, very much like his recent experience in the medal race. He also noted that the test event was important not only for sailing, but for getting to know the area and experiencing the culture before the actual 2008 Olympic Games.
The three-time All-American led the Hobart and William Smith Sailing team to a third place finish in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association coed dinghy championships in 1998, and a fourth place finish in the 1997 Sloop national championships.
The regatta took place from Aug. 18-31 at the Qingdao International Marina in Qingdao, China, and allowed 464 elite sailors from 41 countries to test the venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. The test event will be repeated in 2007.
Horton won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan-American Games and is aiming for a berth on the 2008 US Olympic team.