WHeRe ARe THey NOW? Blackburn in action on the open water W H e R e A R e T H e y n o W ? Michael Blac stORy CHRIs JONes phOtOs GeTTy IMAGes In 2006, at 36 years <strong>of</strong> age, Michael Blackburn became the oldest sailor to win a laser class world championship. The world championship gold came six years after Olympic bronze and was the precursor to what has become an extremely successful foray into coaching. Blackburn receives his bronze medal at the 2000 sydney Olympic Games 22 // the edge // nswis.com.au Blackburn’s contribution to Australian sailing continues as a high performance coach
Blackburn’s sporting success is one that many athletes would dream <strong>of</strong> having, and he is now passing his knowledge onto the next generation <strong>of</strong> Australia’s elite sailors. “I know a lot about laser sailing, but have 10 years less experience in coaching at the highest level than being an athlete,” he explained. “Because <strong>of</strong> that I learn every day and aim to pass my knowledge onto those I am now coaching to help them achieve their goals.” Blackburn’s methodology is working. He is the coach <strong>of</strong> <strong>NSW</strong>IS sailor Tom Slingsby, who, following an unsuccessful 2008 Olympic campaign, now tops the laser world rankings. Blackburn and Slingsby were former training partners, and their respect for each other at a competitive level has led to a successful coach-athlete partnership. “Tom’s performance in 2009 was still a little choppy and he had to get used to me being by his side as a coach rather than competing with him,” said Blackburn. “However we worked extensively on his weaknesses and he was rewarded in 2010 by winning all but one <strong>of</strong> the major regattas, and being honoured as the 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor <strong>of</strong> the Year.” Blackburn explained that the development <strong>of</strong> sailors at a domestic level is one <strong>of</strong> the key contributors to Slingsby’s success. “Another key factor I’m working on leading to <strong>London</strong> is nurturing a strong laser squad to develop the next generation <strong>of</strong> talent, including <strong>NSW</strong>IS sailors Ash Brunning, Tom Burton and James Burman,” said Blackburn. “Strong domestic competition is very important when Europe is so far away, and these guys provide great competition for Tom and it assists with their own development.” With a resume as extensive as Blackburn’s, it is no surprise that his transition from athlete to coach has largely been trouble free. Blackburn competed in one <strong>of</strong> the toughest classes in sailing for the majority <strong>of</strong> his career, <strong>of</strong>ten facing Ben Ainslie and Robert Scheidt, two kburn <strong>of</strong> the world’s most successful laser sailors in history, in his quest for gold. Blackburn finished in the top six <strong>of</strong> the world championships on eight consecutive occasions, including his victory in 2006. At the Olympic level, Blackburn finished fourth in the men’s laser in Atlanta before setting his sights on Sydney. “It (Atlanta) was the time <strong>of</strong> my life, as each Olympics seem to be! I didn’t expect to qualify for the Games, but won the (Australian) trials by a single point,” recalled Blackburn. “I was just two points <strong>of</strong>f the bronze medal (in Atlanta), and I can still picture one moment in a race where I lost 10 points quickly. That gave me more drive to do well in Sydney.” Four years later and Blackburn was again in the mix for medals. Unsurprisingly Ainslie and Scheidt posed the biggest threat to gold for Blackburn, who eventually went on to win gold and silver, respectively, ahead <strong>of</strong> Blackburn. “I fully believed I could do it (win) again for the Games, but simply didn’t have a great regatta.” Although in Blackburn’s eyes his regatta wasn’t great, he did finish with a bronze medal and the experience <strong>of</strong> competing at an Olympic Games in front <strong>of</strong> his home crowd. “It was a fantastic experience to compete in a home Olympics on Sydney Harbour, so many highlights. I got to run with the Olympic torch, stay with a pr<strong>of</strong>essional and well-prepared team, go in a series <strong>of</strong> ticker-tape parades and even dance with Susie O’Neill in a nightclub!” Blackburn experienced a change <strong>of</strong> pace after the Sydney Games. Twelve years <strong>of</strong> sailing in the laser class had whetted his appetite for a greater challenge, so he headed to Sweden to gain experience on the round the world yacht crews. He eventually missed out on the chance to compete in one <strong>of</strong> the sailing’s most prestigious events, so instead <strong>of</strong> continuing down that path he turned to the 49er class. “I spent a year in the two-handed 49er class, which gave me a lot more technical knowledge about the sport. I was crewing in the 49er and crews WHeRe ARe THey NOW? “It was a fantastic experience to compete in a home Olympics on Sydney Harbour, so many highlights. I got to run with the Olympic torch, stay with a pr<strong>of</strong>essional and well-prepared team, go in a series <strong>of</strong> ticker-tape parades and even dance with Susie O’Neill in a nightclub!” Michael Blackburn don’t have as much input into the decision making side <strong>of</strong> the sport. I realised I missed that part a lot so I went back to the laser for Athens.” His laser campaign in Athens ended in a ninth place finish, and then in 2005 for “a bit <strong>of</strong> fun”, Blackburn decided to take on the treacherous Bass Strait in the laser boat, the stretch <strong>of</strong> water infamously associated with the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Taking no chances with his preparation, Blackburn had a support boat for the journey but was well stocked with adequate safety gear. He eventually posted a record time <strong>of</strong> just over 13 hours in the successful crossing, saying that as they were given the right conditions it “wasn’t a problem.” By this stage Blackburn’s career had seen three Olympic Games and countless competitions around the world, but it wasn’t long before he was standing atop the podium at the 2006 Laser World Championships. It wasn’t by coincidence that Blackburn claimed victory at 36 years <strong>of</strong> age. He had identified that at that stage <strong>of</strong> his career; his training had become focused on quality and not quantity, and was perfectly complemented by the work he had published during his career on sailing fitness. “I studied physiology as an undergraduate at university, but always appreciated the role <strong>of</strong> psychology in sport, so I did a combined psychophysiological study for my PhD project. That led to the making <strong>of</strong> Sailing Mind Skills, a CD devoted to imagery, relaxation, mental preparation and decision making for sailing,” said Blackburn. “I’ve been writing and producing stuff for years as a result <strong>of</strong> my academic research and sporting experience. The first sailing fitness article I wrote was published in 1993. Sailing fitness has not traditionally been a big area <strong>of</strong> discussion, so I thought I’d share some <strong>of</strong> what I had discovered.” Blackburn credits his academic work as one <strong>of</strong> the reasons why he achieved so much success on the water, and why his coaching career is thriving. He puts into practice the research he discovers through his studies, both as an athlete and now as a coach. “I don’t think I was terribly talented in the sport, but had a lot <strong>of</strong> motivation to do well and my studies pointed me in directions that were proven.” Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” A truer word may never have been spoken about Blackburn, whose career has come full circle. From exceptional sailor to successful coach, Blackburn has absorbed himself in the world <strong>of</strong> sailing, and in doing so has long been, and will continue to be, one <strong>of</strong> the driving forces behind Australia’s sailing success. Visit http://www.sailfitter.com and http://www.sportsmindskills. com for more information on Michael Blackburn’s sailing and coaching resources. n nswis.com.au // the edge // 23
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