MADRID, 26 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The CEO of the America’s Cup, Grant Dalton, defended that one of the “missions” of the competition, which will be held in Barcelona in 2024, will be to “break with that stereotype that sailing is a sport for the rich”, at the same time who did not confirm whether the Cup will continue in Barcelona in the next edition and assured that gender quotas “are not a good idea” in the discipline, since he considers them “degrading.”
“It is true that it will be free, as we want the TV to be open, it does not give us benefits, it entails costs. One of the successes for sailing in New Zealand is that it has become the sport for the people. Of course the people think that it is a sport for the rich, but in Spain we have the mission of breaking that stereotype that it is a sport for the rich,” explained Dalton from the NH Collection Eurobuilding in Madrid, at the Europa Press Sports Breakfasts, sponsored by DAZN, Loterías and State Betting, UnicajaBanco and Vithas.
The New Zealander believes that it is a viable objective thanks to the “support” of the host city “and the Spanish Government.” “We want people to live a free experience and learn. Democratize sailing, but also learn, spread small boats so that children can become interested in this sport,” he added.
Barcelona will host the 37th edition of the Copa América de Vela, from August 22, 2024 to October 20, with the “objective” of “recovering the legacy of Barcelona 92.” “Most sports come and go, they leave nothing behind and the legacy is extremely important, it is fundamental. One of the things that happened in 1992 is that the volunteers were a huge part of the legacy, the Olympic spirit is still strong. We We already have more than 3,000 registered volunteers and that will be important for the legacy,” he noted.
“The second legacy will be to contribute to promoting sustainability, promoting hydrogen, something that is important for Barcelona. In the marine industry, it seems that hydrogen is making its way, more than fossil fuels. We want to promote this sport through sponsors that “They want to leave that legacy too, encourage diversity. We always have to look beyond the title, to the pillars that we will leave behind when we leave and that may remain for quite some time,” Dalton defended about the impact that the event could have on the host city. .
However, he was “skeptical” about the economic impact. “We are talking about a lot of money, I cannot judge it, but it has a significant impact. 1.2 billion and 19,000 jobs is what has been mentioned, but I doubt that it has been exceeded, but if these figures are recorded, I would say that the success has been huge, gigantic”, he wished.
“GENDER QUOTAS ARE MORE DEGRADING”
In the field of the all-female event in the next edition of the Copa América, Dalton insisted that he is in favor of “a women-only competition”, because he does not believe in gender quotas. “I get the feeling that it is something more degrading, it is not a good idea. There are so many women sailors who do it so well… They are good enough to sail these boats, they are trained to do the physical work, I don’t see that there are barriers,” he explained.
“We are proud to be the first organizers to do it properly. We do not want to hide it, if we do it it is so it can be seen,” he added about the women’s event.