Defending RS:X world champion Piotr Myszka expects strong competition for his title at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, none more so than from his Polish teammate Przemyslaw Miarczynski.
“We are friends, but on the water we compete like normal,” Myszka said. “For us it’s an Olympic qualification event so he’ll be fighting 100 per cent.”
Miarczynski finished just behind Myszka at the World Championships in Denmark last year.
World number one Myszka didn’t compete at the the Olympic Test Event in Weymouth and Portland allowing Miarczynski to push for Olympic selection after he finished third in the event and moved to fifth in the world rankings.
“There is tough competition in our country,” Myszka said.
Despite the rivalry on the water, the two men are anything but enemies on land.
“We are friends,” he said. “Our families are friends, my wife and his wife know each other very well and the kids sometimes play together.”
Sailing is in the blood for Myszka, who followed in his father’s and older brother’s wake, learning to sail in an Optimist at the age of 10 before moving over to windsurfing in his teens.
Myszka says being so close to nature and elements is what he loves most about his sport.
“Sometimes I really like to sail alone, to just connect with everything, with the wind and the water and the waves, to feel like I’m still small again,” he said.
Now the world number one and world champion, Myszka says his success is the culmination of more than 10 years of hard work and self-determination.
“You have to believe,” he said. “I just knew it was possible that I could be a champion.
“I always believed this and it happened, it’s really sweet.”
When it comes to Myszka’s goals at Perth 2011, the defending champion is clear on his intent.
“I’ll try to defend my gold medal from last year,” he said. “I’ll do my best to do this, and we’ll see.”
Myszka names Nick Dempsey (GBR), Dorian Van Rijsselberge (NED), and Nimrod Mashich (ISR), as his other main competitors.
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