RELEASE — VALLETTA, Malta – Through numerous challenges, (Queen’s University student) James Juhasz returned to Malta on October 14, having achieved most if not all of the objectives he set for himself at the Senior European Championships held in Gdansk, Poland, October 6 to 13.
James started off strong on his first day in the Laser Class category, rounding the first mark in fourth place and ending the first day of sailing in 35th position overall. A penalty (DSQ) on day three of the competition saw the Canadian sailor lose points, forcing him out of the Gold Fleet portion of the laser class final round. He finished the event in 33rd in the silver fleet.
“It’s not always smooth sailing outside of the waters,” says James Juhasz, specialist sailor in the Laser class category. “I lost four days of preparation for this event due to a nagging flu which had me in bed and operating at limited capacity up until the first day of racing. But the truth remains my goals for this competition were met. I wanted to use this event to assess my progress and re-calibrate priorities for the long winter training season ahead of me. And that was totally achieved.”
With light and shifty conditions on the first day of racing – previously a weakness of James – he scored his best performances. In the final days of the competition, as part of the Silver Fleet, James was in the top five on two back-to-back races before they were both abandoned due to dying breeze.
“In the face of many challenges, both personal and outside of my control, I’m very happy with the way I sailed,” says James. “I’ve demonstrated my potential among the best in the world and can now continue the ambitious training regimen I’ve set up for myself thanks to my supporters and those back home who believe in me. I’m now more prepared than ever to tackle the biggest training block to date in my career — training through to next spring with some of the leading competitors on the planet. It’s going to be an amazing experience for me. I can’t wait.”
To watch the highlights from the Senior European Championships, visit eurilca.org.
Learn more about James by visiting his website, jamesjuhasz.com, or following him on Instagram. Companies and persons interested in supporting James in his quest to represent Canada at the 2024 Olympic Games (Men’s Laser Class), are invited to contact James for sponsorship opportunities or to make a donation at Wind Athletes Canada. Tax receipts will be issued on donations of more than $25.
Release | Photo (James Juhasz): submitted
