Thame Girl Takes Sailing Gold

A THAME school girl is celebrating after helping to win a gold medal for Great Britain at the fourth Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.

16 year-old Claire Lasko, who attends Lord Williams’s school in Thame, with her partner, Imogen Stanley from Stanton St John, were part of the winning six-strong winning team, the pair winning the race-off finals against Australia.
They both belong to the Oxford Sailing Club

This is not the first gold medal for Claire and Imogen – they won a gold medal at the Youth Team Racing Championships in 2006.

Clair comes from a sailing family and has been sailing since she was seven years-old.
To quote from: http://www.sportsaid.org.uk/athletes/athlete-blogs.html

“Claire has excelled in her sport of sailing in the past and has won numerous national and international events. She is current RS Feva European Champion and has been Belgian Optimist National Champion as well as the only British girl to ever be the Optimist Junior Champion. In addition she has been part of the successful Grafham Gremlins who won the European Optimist Team Racing Championships as well as the RYA Eric Twiname Junior Team Racing Championships. As Juniors they also managed to finish second in last year?s senior Team Racing event.

She was presented with the RYA Regional Young Sailor of the year award by Shirley Roberston SportsAid alumnus and Olympic gold medal winner in Athens (2004) and Sydney (2000), at this year?s EXCEL boat show.”

Photo: Courtesy of: http://www.sportsaid.org.uk/athletes/athlete-blogs.html