Aarhus World Championships
Denmark's Jena-Mai Hansen and Katja Salskov Iversen will be aiming for a solid campaign this August at the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 on their home waters.
The duo have been sailing the 49erFX together for the last six years, picking up various accolades along the way.
They won a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, while also securing gold in the 2017 49erFX World Championship.
However, their journey for this year's Hempel Sailing World Championships in Aarhus hasn't been the most straightforward one.
Katja, who is six years younger than Jena, has spent her time studying and training individually, while Jena has tried her hand at offshore sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race.
Joining as part of Vestas 11th Hour Racing, Jena has sailed four legs so far, in Alicante, Cape Town, Itajaí, Newport and Cardiff.
As a result, Team Jena and Katja have not had much time to train together in the build-up to Aarhus.
They are aiming for a top-eight finish at the World Championships in their home country, with their focus on a gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
That was the target at Rio, and standing on the third step of the podium rather than the top step has only fuelled their determination further.
A positive performance at Aarhus, where they will be able to put into practice everything they have learned over the past 12 months, will serve them well as they continue to chase their dream of an Olympic gold medal.
ABOUT THE HEMPEL SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AARHUS 2018
Held every four years, the Sailing World Championships is one of the biggest global sailing events in the world and the principal qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will include all 10 Olympic boat classes. Kiteboarding will be added to the programme for the first time. The ambition is to make the championships in Aarhus a unique and spectacular event, where sailing is made more popular and accessible than ever before.
The Championships will be held from 30 July to 12 August 2018 and 1,500 sailors from up to 90 nations will race in 1,100 boats.
Held simultaneously with the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, a large festival will provide opportunities visiting families to get out on the water. The event expects to draw 400,000 visitors to Aarhus.
More info: www.aarhus2018.com