Marty Essig gained a berth on first Olympic sailing team by winning the Olympic trials Laser competition in Kingston, Ont., this past spring. The mechanical engineer who works for Bayer in Sarnia, Ont., started sailing at age 10 with his parents. He found the sport boring until he started racing. He competed at the 1996 trials and placed 10th missing a berth.

 "I became a lot more efficient with training in the past four years," said Essig. "I got a coach and I'm a bit bigger and stronger than in 1996. Plus I've gained a lot of experience."

2000 Games
Sept. 28: Open Laser: Marty Essig, Carlisle, Ont., was 26th after nine races.
Sept. 26: Open Laser: Marty Essig, Carlisle, Ont., was 25th overall after seven races.
Sept. 23: Laser: Marty Essig, Carlisle, Ont., was 21st overall after six races.
Sept. 21: Men's Laser: Marty Essig, Carlisle, Ont., was 23rd overall after four races.
Sept. 20: Marty Essig, Carlisle, Ont., was 23rd overall after two races.


2000 Games Sailing Coverage