Since starting sailing as a seven-year-old, Mat Belcher hasn’t looked back. The Australian has won numerous medals including five world championships and an Olympic gold in the 470 Class at London 2012.
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But that hasn’t stopped him from striving for more success. The 33-year-old was in Abu Dhabi for the ISAF World Cup Final and spoke to Sport360 about his hopes of winning another gold at next year’s Rio Olympics, his team-mate Will Ryan and the key elements to his success.
You carried the Olympic flag at the Sydney Olympic Games. Does that inspire you that you can reach the top?
My Olympic campaign pretty much started off from that and it was a chance for me to follow my dream. As a 17-year-old carrying the flag at the closing ceremony and doing a lap around the 400m track was an amazing experience in front of three billion people. I think that was the moment when I wanted to become an Olympian.
The Australians did very well at the Games, winning gold in the 470 class, and it was their success and determination that was the driving factor for me to one day represent my country at the Games. At the time, I was still in school. I went through all the junior programmes and did really well at state level. I guess it was an eye-opener and I thought to myself that I have all the skills to do it and I just needed to improve.
But you had to wait a long time to compete at the Olympics.
Yes, the qualifying system in Australia is very established and difficult. For sure, the Olympic journey has been a long one. It took me 12 years to qualify for the Olympics.
I wasn’t successful in qualifying for the Athens Games and that was the same for Beijing. I took a one-year gap as I felt I needed to walk away from the sport and it was only in 2009 that I decided I wanted to come back and give it a third try for the Olympics.
The London Olympics was certainly special, winning gold in the 470 class. Was that the highlight of your career?
Yes it was. Malcolm and myself won three world championships coming into the Olympic Games and we were pretty much firm favourites for the gold. But the Olympic Games is just a unique experience. There was a lot of pressure and expectations and it’s always a different competition than what you think.
.@BelcherMathew and @WillRyanAUS extend golden spell at #ISAF World Cup final in Abu Dhabi https://t.co/8RJfV3sqAG pic.twitter.com/cihxIVFaeL
— Sport360° (@Sport360) November 1, 2015
There’s a lot of attention that you don’t necessarily get at some events but it was my first Games and had some amazing support to guide us in the right direction. It was more a relief of winning gold than anything else. We trained so much and were in such a great position that we didn’t want to do any mistakes.
It was a phenomenal experience and it was probably my second proudest moment in my life, the first being the birth of my son. But it was a pretty cool feeling that you will always remember and I will look back at that.
You will have another chance to win another Olympic gold at Rio next year. What preparations are you doing for the prestigious event?
All the events that we are entering play an important role in the preparations for Rio. It will help us in what we need to work on when things aren’t going right. At the end of the day, we want to be in the best possible position and want to learn as much as we can every day. An Olympic gold is something I want really badly.
You’ve also won numerous titles including five world championships. What do you think has been the key to success?
We have had a good system in Australia and that gets the best out of you because the competition is really tough. I have been very fortunate to have had two good partners with Will Ryan and Malcolm Page on board and to be able to sail with those guys is pretty amazing. My programme is down to my coach Victor Kovalenko and that combination has been really important for my game.
Your team-mate Will Ryan, aged 26, is a lot younger than you. How impressed have you been with him?
He’s seven years younger than me but he’s very intelligent and is a very good sailor. There are certainly a lot of times when I guide him and he’s stepped into Malcolm’s shoes and done a great job. I never thought we would be able to achieve so much and it’s a huge credit to him and how he handles himself.
He’s a phenomenal athlete and when my time’s up I have no doubt he will be the main face of sailing.
How much of an influential figure has your coach Kovalenko been on your career?
He’s been there from the very beginning and we formed a key relationship. He gives up a lot of his time for us and is on the circuit full-time and has guided me for the last 15 years, and he’s one of my best friends and a father figure. And we also have so much respect for each other.
Are you happy with what you’ve achieved so far?
Yes. I never thought that I would achieve in my career what I have managed now. I still have a bit to go to keep performing. To win five consecutive world championships is a pretty cool achievement and to win World Sailor of the Year in 2013 was amazing. I was the second Australian to win the accolade and to be recognised at that level is a pretty amazing feeling.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in sailing?
At any level, you have to enjoy what you’re doing. Sailing is a sport for life and can do this sport no matter how old or young you really are. It’s a fantastic game and you can learn more about yourself just being on the water.
From a competition level, you need to put in a lot of hours and it has shown that people who do spend many hours on the boat, that the work can pay off.
You have experience of competing on Abu Dhabi waters. Do you think the ISAF World Cup Final will raise the profile of sailing in the UAE?
I think the most important thing is to keep holding the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final here in Abu Dhabi. It’s really key for many sailors. And this event is the platform for many sailors to go professional.
For us to have been in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, we have seen how great the country and city is. We’ve done a lot of initiatives with the kids at schools and trying to promote the sport. I’m really looking forward to next year and hopefully see some Emirati sailors out on the sea.
