KINGSTON: Canadian Olympic hopeful James Juhasz has officially started his high-intensity training program with fellow sailor Vishnu Saravanan in Malta. Both athletes are busy preparing for their upcoming competitions: Kiel Week Regatta (Sept. 5 to 13) and European Championships (Athens Greece, Oct. 9th to 16th).
Vishnu Saravanan is a peer in his laser class category. The decision to move to the Mediterranean island comes after a long period of reflection and includes an important personal choice — to defer graduation at Queen’s University (History) until 2023 to allow for focus on sailing.
“Juggling between school and sailing was manageable up to a certain point,” says James. “And that point is now well behind me. I could not be happier with this choice. I know it is the right thing for me at this point in my career.”
The Maltese training program is run by SailCoach and has gained global recognition as one of the leading private programs for sailors in the laser class. It is there that Vishnu has trained since 2018, helping him to attain podium finishes at the U21 World and European Championships in 2019.
“I’ve watched Vishnu’s career closely and admire him for his dedication pursuit of excellence” says James. “He is passionate about sailing and has made a similar commitment to the sport. When I met him in 2019, and learned of his training in Malta, alone, I knew an opportunity existed and I jumped on it.
I’m happy he reacted well to my offer to become his training partner and by the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s decision to welcome me as well.”
The Kiel Week Regatta, billed as the world’s biggest sailing event, as well the European
Championships (Athens Greece, Oct. 9th to 16th). Both events — rescheduled from their earlier dates – are important stops for James in Juhasz’s journey to securing a permanent spot on the Canadian Olympic Team and competing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.