SINGAPORE - Team Singapore will field 10 sailors at the Aug 5-21 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, one more than the original slate of nine, after World Sailing offered an unused quota place to Singapore in the women's RS:X windsurfing event.
The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) made the announcement on Friday afternoon. The Singapore Sailing Federation nominated 2010 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Audrey Yong for the spot, a choice which has received the support and endorsement from the SNOC.
This will be the first time that Singapore will be represented in the women's windsurfing event at the Olympic Games. The last Singapore windsurfer to compete at the Olympic Games was the late Kelly Chan at the 1984 Los Angeles edition.
The unused quota place is awarded based on the 2015 RS:X World Championship results. Held in Oman in October last year, Yong did not compete in that regatta but was awarded the slot based on SingaporeSailing's internal selection.
Yong had just missed out on qualifying for the Rio Games when she finished behind Thai rival Siripon Kaewduangngam at the Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi in March.
Her entry brings the confirmed number of endorsed athletes from Singapore so far to 22, with at least three more waiting to receive their nods from their respective federations. Two will come from athletics, with the third a female swimmer.
