Sills looking to peak at right time ahead of Princess Sofia Regatta
Sills came 34th in Lanzarote in February with the pressure of Olympic qualifying off but has spent his time since refining his technique on the water
By Abi Curran, Sportsbeat
Sam Sills has a title to defend but the next four months are all about peaking at the right time.
The 30-year-old iQFOiL sailor struck gold at the Princess Sofia Regatta last year and comes into this year’s event off the back of a disappointing World Championships.
Sills came 34th in Lanzarote in February with the pressure of Olympic qualifying off but has spent his time since refining his technique on the water before competing in Palma de Majorca.
He said: “I wasn’t performing how I really wanted to and it’s a culmination of factors of having my eyes on the Olympics and doing the work towards that rather than trying to peak for a worlds.
“Most of the world were trying to earn their spots as that was the selection time for a lot of the other nations.
“It was a difficult mindset to be in and since then I’ve been working doubly hard to get where I wanted to be.
“I didn’t take a huge amount of time off, I’ve had a couple of days off but since then I’ve just been on.
“I’m feeling really good and getting sharper and fitter so I’m really excited about the Princess Sofia.
“When I set the plan out, you’ve got to choose where you’re going to peak, the last two years have all been about executing and performing the whole way through the year.”
The months leading up to the Olympics will be a balancing act for Sills, who is taking a different approach to 2024.
Last year was spent at full pelt on his quest for Olympic qualification, bagging a quota spot with a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in The Hague.
He said: “For me it’s all about investing in staying in a good place, to be able to switch off and relax.
“It’s a totally different place I’m in now. Last year, with the trials, it was high stress for the whole year and now I’m feeling quite a big difference with energy levels.
“It’s a long project with a lot of positive energy towards one massive goal and it’s quite a different feeling compared to 12 months ago.
“Last year was very special with a lot of us on the podium and I hope we can do that at the Princess Sofia and the Olympics.”
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