The Robert Scheidt Interview

Andy Rice spoke to the Laser World Champion in Rio, and asked him what he really thinks about Ben Ainslie

It is hard to imagine how he could stay in a Laser as long as he has. Other, less successful Olympians are carving themselves lucrative professional careers in America's Cup or Volvo campaigns. That must of proved a temptation for someone as eminently talented as Scheidt. "Actually I didn't get any offers for the America's Cup. I had a couple of offers for the Volvo, but nothing really serious. On the Laser class I've got some contracts already signed, so on the business side of things I'm well placed for the next Olympics."

But he has no doubt about wanting to make a life-long career out of sailing. "As long as I am healthy I will do my best to improve in big boats. I only know one side of the game which is dinghy sailing, so yes, I plan to get better there."

Meanwhile, Scheidt's great rival Ainslie has moved into the other Olympic singlehander, the Finn. How did that appeal to Scheidt? "To compete in the Finn, I would have to change my body a lot and I'm naturally 79-80 kilos. I didn't' feel like gaining 15 kg in weight. And it is a similar concept to the Laser, so if I was going to change I would rather change into something different like a Star, or even a skiff or Tornado was on my mind. I would not opt for another singlehander, knowing I would have to put on so much weight and change my body. I still had a good motivation in the Laser class. I won the Laser Worlds in Ireland, and I was even more sure after the Worlds that I should carry on with the Laser because I was still getting great success. Also I was getting great fun out of the boat - if I was bored I would have switched."

The only sailor who could match Scheidt for pure pace in the Laser was Ainslie, but Scheidt doesn't think his retirement from the Laser scene will make life any easier at Athens in two years' time. "Sailors are getting fitter, more professional and they're getting more aggressive. I think the technique that Ben and I perfected last time - the S curving technique downwind - getting the waves and doing big, sharp angles downwind gave us a huge advantage in Savannah. That advantage is mostly gone now, most of the sailors understand it now. When you're at the back at the Laser World Championship it's a lot harder to catch up now. I think the next couple of years the competition will get really fierce. A lot of young sailors are coming through now, really hungry for results, so if I want to get to the top again in Athens I'm going to have to work really hard again."

Click on page 3 to find out what he really thinks about that last race at the Sydney Olympics...