Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Nancy Damian Rios |
Nationality | United States |
Born | Orange County, California, U.S. | April 26, 1988
Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
Weight | 115 lb (52 kg) |
Sailing career | |
Class | Sailboard |
Club | Banana River Windsurfing Resort |
Coach | Brandon Sebald |
Nancy Damian Rios (born April 26, 1988) is an American former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. [1] She finished fifth in her sporting discipline at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, and was eventually named the country's top female windsurfer for the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing a lowly twenty-sixth place. [2] [3] A member of the sailing roster at Banana River Windsurfing Resort in Cocoa Beach, Florida, Rios trained under the tutelage of her personal coach Brandon Sebald. [2]
Rios competed for the U.S. sailing squad in the inaugural women's RS:X class at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. [4] Before securing one of the seven berths available at the Worlds in late January 2008, she topped the selection criteria in a three-way controversial battle against Karen Marriott and Farrah Hall at the U.S. Team Trials in Long Beach, California. [5] Following the last of the 16-race regatta, Rios protested that her collision with Marriott and Hall ripped her sail and slowed her down towards the near end of the fleet. US Sailing favored Rio's appeal for redress, raised her cumulative score, and awarded her a spot on the team. [6] During her maiden Games, Rios clearly struggled to catch a large fleet of windsurfers from behind under breezy conditions with marks lower than the top 20 and an unanticipated eighth-leg exit at the end of ten-race series, sitting her steadily in twenty-sixth overall with a net grade of 224. Moreover, Rios' cumulative score spared her from the bottom of the field by a slight, eight-point edge over Turkey's Sedef Köktentürk. [3] [7]
Mikalai Yuryievich Zhukavets is a Belarusian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. A two-time Olympian, he is ranked no. 34 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation. Zhukavets also trains for Moshvsm Sailing Club in Minsk under his personal coach and mentor Uladzimir Khaladzinski.
Irina Emilova Konstantinova-Bontemps is a Bulgarian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented Bulgaria in four editions of the Olympic Games, and has also placed outside the top ten in both Mistral and RS:X classes. In 2006, Konstantinova married French windsurfer, two-time world champion, and later 2008 Olympic silver medalist Julien Bontemps before she relocated to France, and trained for ASPTT Nantes. As of September 2013, Konstantinova is ranked no. 88 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Santiago Enrique Grillo Diez, known as Santiago Grillo, is a Colombian windsurfer who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. A two-time Olympian, he is ranked no. 82 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation. Grillo also trains for Velas y Vientos in Cali under his Argentina-based personal coach Manuel Fumagallo.
Patrícia da Costa Freitas is an American-born Brazilian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented Brazil in three editions of the Olympic Games and captured her first ever individual title in her sailing career at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Holding dual citizenship between Brazil and the United States, Freitas currently resides in Rio de Janeiro, where she sails and trains for the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club under her personal coach and mentor Lucas Souza. As of September 2013, Freitas is ranked as one of the top ten sailors in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the South American and World Championships in her home nation.
Charline Picon is a French windsurfer who specialized in the Neil Pryde RS:X class. She captured two bronze medals in her respective class at the Windsurfing World Championships, and an Olympic title at the 2016 Summer Olympics after attaining a top ten finish at the 2012 Summer Olympics. As of September 2014, Picon is ranked as one of the top ten sailors in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the European and World Championships and at the Sailing World Cup series.
Makoto Tomizawa is a Japanese windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. He represented Japan in two editions of the Olympic Games and has been currently training for Kanto Auto Works Sailing Team in Kanagawa Prefecture under his personal coach Kazuto Seki. As of September 2013, Tomizawa is ranked no. 42 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Tatyana Vyacheslavovna Bazyuk is a Ukrainian-born Russian windsurfer, who specializes in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented and competed for Russia in two editions of the Olympic Games and is currently training for the Russian Army Forces under her coach Roman Matsyusovich.
Chang Hao is a Taiwanese windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. He represented Chinese Taipei in three editions of the Olympic Games and has been trained by coach Lin Chun Chien for most of his career. As of September 2013, Chang is ranked no. 103 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Demita Vega de Lille is a Mexican windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented her nation Mexico at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later picked up a silver medal in windsurfing at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. As of September 2014, Vega is ranked seventh in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the North American and ISAF World Championships.
Patrik Pollák is a Slovak windsurfer, who specializes in Mistral and RS:X classes. He became the first and only Slovak sailor to compete in three editions of the Summer Olympic Games, finishing outside the top twenty-five respectively in two different sailboards. As a member of the sailing roster for Akademia TU Košice, Pollák trained most of his sporting career under the tutelage of his personal coach and father Jozef.
Carlos Julio Flores Pérez is a Venezuelan former windsurfer, who specializes in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. He represented his country Venezuela in two editions of the Summer Olympic Games, finishing in the top thirty respectively in two different sailboards. A member of Centro de Vela Ligera in Anzoategui, along with his younger brother and eventual two-time Olympian Daniel, Flores trained for the country's sailing federation under the tutelage of his personal coach Christian Larte.
Fabian Heidegger is an Italian former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. He represented his country Italy at the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing among the top twenty windsurfers in his signature sailboard. Heidegger trained most of his competitive sporting career, as a member of the sailing roster for A.V.L. Caldaro, under the tutelage of his personal coach Paolo Ghione.
Benjamin Oden Barger is an American former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. He was a seven-time national champion in his sporting discipline, an unofficial alternate for two Olympic teams, and the country's top male windsurfer for the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing a lowly twenty-sixth place. Outside competitive sailing, Barger served for four years as both the board trustee and chairman of the ISAF Athletes' Commission. A member of St. Petersburg Yacht Club and a current resident of Tampa, Florida, Barger trained most of his sporting career under the mentorship of two-time medalist Mike Gebhardt; however, the pair announced their split professionally, when Gebhardt came out of retirement for another shot at Olympic glory in 2007.
Alexey Vasilyevich Tokarev is a Russian windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. He represented his country Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing outside the top thirty from a fleet of 35 registered windsurfers. Tokarev is also a member of the Russian Sailing Federation.
Antonia-Athina Frai is a Greek former windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. She picked up a bronze medal at the inaugural RS:X Europeans in 2006 and also represented her country Greece in two editions of the Summer Olympic Games, finishing in the fifteenth position each, respectively. A member of Tzitzifies Kallithea Yacht Club, Frai trained most of her competitive sporting career under the tutelage of her personal coach Panagiotis Bizios.
Yasuko Kosuge is a Japanese former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. She was the country's top female windsurfer for the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing in thirteenth place. A member of Toyama Sailing Federation, Kosuge trained most of her competitive sporting career for the national team.
Bettina Honoré is a Danish former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. She was the country's top female windsurfer for the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing in nineteenth place. A member of the sailing club in Hellerup, Honore trained for the national windsurfing squad under head coach Jacob Holst.
Florencia Gutiérrez is an Argentine former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. She won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and eventually represented her nation Argentina at the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing in the top twenty-five of her signature sailboard. While sailing competitively for the national team, Gutiérrez was a member of San Isidro Nautical Club in the outskirts of her hometown Buenos Aires.
Sedef Köktentürk is a Turkish former windsurfer, who specialized in the RS:X class. She was the country's top female windsurfer for the 2008 Summer Olympics, finishing last of the 27-woman fleet. Outside competitive sailing, Köktentürk worked in the investment management division at Goldman Sachs for seven years, before currently taking a directorial role at Generation Investment Management in London.
Anna Sergeyevna Khvorikova is a Russian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She was the country's top female windsurfer for the rescheduled 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing a lowly twenty-second place. A member and pupil of Krestovsky Island Sailing Sports School in her current residence St. Petersburg, Khvorikova trained most of her competitive sporting career under the tutelage of her personal coach, six-time Olympian and former Ukrainian-born windsurfer Maksym Oberemko.