Asian Games: Sailor Russell Aylsworth aiming for Hangzhou 49er gold after Tokyo Olympics heartbreak
- ‘We are the best Asian team’, the 20-year-old declares as he and teammate Sakai train for Hangzhou glory in September
- The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallists missed out on Olympic debut by one point last year
After agonisingly missing out on a Tokyo 2020 Olympics spot last year, Hong Kong sailor Russell Aylsworth is only settling for one colour at the Asian Games this September.
“I truly believe it when I say that we are the best Asian team,” the 20-year-old said from his training camp in Spain, where he and two-person 49er sailboat teammate Akira Sakai are preparing to peak for Hangzhou 2022.
“It really depends on how we do that week – if we’re fully activated and at our physical and mental best. But if we are, I’m sure we will get gold.”
Aylsworth, born and raised in Hong Kong to an American father and Malaysian-Chinese mother, started sailing aged eight – “just as a hobby” – before realising he could climb the ranks at the Aberdeen Boat Club and Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
It did not take long for the Hong Kong Sports Institute team to come knocking for the then-teen to represent the city at international level.
