Olympics 2024: Hampshire athletes to take part in sailing

Hannah Snellgrove, Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube will all enter the Paris 2024 games either today or tomorrow.

The trio are competing in the Sailing competition, which is being held off the coast of Marseille.

Snellgrove, born in Southampton and now living in Lymington, is the first to enter the games when the women’s ILCA 6 dinghy competition gets underway today at 2.35pm.

Hannah Snelgrove will compete in the women's dinghy competition in the Paris 2024 Olympics (Image: SAILING ENERGY)

Meanwhile, Heathcote, also born in Southampton and living in Lymington, and Grube, originally from Chester but now living in Hamble, have been paired together in the mixed dinghy, which starts at 11.05am on Friday.

The trio will learn whether they have won Olympic medals at the end of their competitions on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Snellgrove, 34, started sailing aged seven at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington to get out of standard sports in PE at school.

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A Cambridge graduate, she is a former local newspaper reporter and also part of a folk band called Bimbling.

She said: “It’s the biggest honour to be selected for Team GB. It’s been quite the 26-year project since first setting foot in a boat, and I think it would be fair to say I’ve taken the scenic route.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport and it’s an opportunity to share the experience and thrills of racing at the highest level with friends and family and all those who have supported me along the way.”

Vita Heathcote is the youngest sailor in Team GB's squad and already a silver medalist at the World Championships (Image: Lloyd Images)

Heathcote, 23, is the youngest sailor in the Team GB line-up, and started sailing aged five with her family.

She was named world champion in the 420 in 2019, and won a silver medal with her sailing partner Grube at the world championships earlier this year.

Her uncle, Nick Rogers, won silver for Team GB at Athens 20024 and Beijing 2008 in the 470 class.

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“It gives me goosebumps knowing that I’m going to be a part of the biggest sporting spectacle on earth,” Heathcote said.

“The Olympics has always been the goal and the thing I project my inspiration and motivation towards.”

Grube, 39, has competed at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, finishing 5th both times.

Chris Grube has already competed in two Olympic Games (Image: Lloyd Images)

“Vita and I have worked tirelessly over the last six months. It’s a late campaign for us but coming second at the World Championships last month showed our capability.

“It means a huge amount to be going to the Games for a third time. I’ve had 20 years in this boat, and it’s always been my dream to win an Olympic medal.”

All events in the Sailing event will consist of ten races, with points awarded based on a boat’s finishing position.

The crew with the lowest score at the end of the competition will win the gold medal.