In British English:
Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove weren’t upset, both would have done the exact same thing. This pair of Olympians were joining their fellow Irish team members in the reception at Áras an Uachtaráin, hosted by Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina. They were there to relax and enjoy their time, it being September and the final official engagement of the Paris Olympic season came to an end.
At some point, an unknown politician approached Rob to get a photo but instead, positioned himself next to Daniel Wiffen, and requested him snap the moment. Such are the experiences when you finish fourth in the Olympics.
James O’Callaghan, Sailing Ireland’s performance director, noted the situation and took action, slightly annoyed. He was possibly the only person in the room, except Dickson and Waddilove themselves, who knew about the effort they had put in over the past four years and how close they came to being national icons.
“Let me take the photo,” O’Callaghan offered, taking the phone off Rob.
“I didn’t really mind!” Dickson admits now. “James perhaps took offence for me, but I would have been totally fine to do it.”
“I got a pic with Daniel Wiffen too!” Waddilove chuckles.
Three months after the Olympics, as we sit in Dún Laoghaire, we reminisce about their race in the men’s 49ers class that took place on Friday, August 2nd. It was overshadowed by the triumphant performance of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, hence why their effort might have been overlooked a bit.
The painful part of their story is their start to the medal race, where they were second overall but ended up fourth because of an apparent false start, one they didn’t actually commit.
Ireland ended the Olympics with three fourth-place finishes – Rhasidat Adeleke, the women’s 4x400m relay and the duo, Dickson and Waddilove. Something they look at as a bitter-sweet memory, no Brigadoon.
In an unexpected twist of events, Dickson and Waddilove found themselves in the Stade de France to observe Adeleke’s performance, which landed at a close fourth place a week later. Dickson was also present on the next day for the relay. He vividly recalls his disappointment when Sharlene Mawdsley couldn’t outrun Amber Anning on the closing stretch.
“It was absolutely gutting,” he shares. “All I could think of was how familiar their experience was to me. I thought, ‘I understand completely how they must be feeling at this moment.’”
However, there was a slight variation. A pragmatic analysis of both the fourth-place finishes suggested that both Adeleke and the relay team had given their best shot. They were on the verge of winning a medal, but ultimately, their competitors outperformed them when it mattered the most. Fourth place was a fair appraisal of their performance on the day.
This slight comfort, however, eludes Dickson and Waddilove. They are acutely aware that they deserved an Olympic medal. Their sailing performance throughout the week testified to their deservingness, but they committed a blunder at the most crucial moment.
“It was extremely difficult,” Dickson admits. “What made it worse was the position we had maintained all week. We wore the blue bibs for securing second place throughout the week. It seemed as though we were sailing well enough to clinch a medal.
“I was certain that we would achieve it. But, of course, it didn’t manifest. It was a tremendously harsh occurrence. I can’t think of what else to say. It’s truly a dreadful feeling.”
Throughout that week in Marseille, Dickson and Waddilove nearly achieved everything they had been preparing for since Tokyo, three years prior. The course required three races everyday for four days – they secured a victory on the first day and continued with two second-place finishes, three fourths and barely experienced any mishaps along the way. Entering the medal race, they stood in second place.
The existing circumstance was familiar to everyone involved. A total of 10 boats were competing in the championship race. Ireland commenced the race trailing Spain by five points, yet they were three points ahead of New Zealand, and possessed a seven-point lead over the United States. Traditionally, one point was assigned per placement, but the medal race presented double score rewards, implying that finishing in the top four would automatically secure their place on the podium. It was understood that securing fifth or sixth place could potentially be sufficient. Surprisingly, even the seventh spot would have cinched them the bronze.
Waddilove emphasised the importance of taking a solid start on the medal race day, unlike previous race days where the inconsistent wind provided opportunities to overtake even after a shaky start. The consistent wind during the medal race had rendered the start paramount.
The strategic richness of sailing came into full display at this point. The aim was to accurately choose the right spot and time. Being too far behind at the blast of the horn would allow other boats to disturb your wind flow. Jumping ahead too far was also problematic as it could lead to premature starting.
When the countdown started, Dickson and Waddilove managed to sandwich themselves between the Uruguayan and Croatian vessels. They perfectly timed their push at the sound of the horn, however, a second horn echoed five seconds later indicating a false start by one or more boats.
Unique to the sport of sailing, it isn’t instantly clarified whether your boat is the offender. The decision of identifying a fault at the start line lies with each individual boat within the blink of an eye. If you think you’ve crossed the line, it is your responsibility to turn around and initiate the start again.
Dickson elaborated, “If your start is void and you don’t reverse, then you are ejected from the race post two minutes,” which is a pitfall the Croatian team inadvertently fell into.
He continued, “If you breached, then you are required to start over, then continue the race.”
Ireland, Poland, and Uruguay returned to the start line, however, it later emerged that only Uruguay and Croatia were guilty of the false start. The Irish team, Dickson and Waddilove, had unnecessarily reversed for a false start they had not committed.
Waddilove urges the importance of swift decision-making, stressing that lingering over discussions only distances you further from the point of concern, hence causing a delay in resuming the race. Making the correct call is, however, a challenging task.
Assessing the situation, neither of them was entirely at fault, yet they both shared the responsibility. The confusion stemmed from the uncertainty of whether it was their boat that crossed the line, a predicament largely born out of initial over-eagerness.
Dickson notes their rapid decision to return, explaining the division of roles during the start, and owning up to his premature call for acceleration. However, the ultimate call was made by Seán, who feared they had overshoot their starting point.
He believed they were possibly either too close or perhaps even over the line and hence, needed to reverse. In such instances, mutual trust and personal instinct play a vital role. Reflecting on their gut feelings, it indicated that they were too close to, or had crossed the line.
Having reviewed the incident, they are acutely aware of their near-miss. The momentum they built coming up to the line was at its peak, causing them to arrive with full speed. They did not jump-start intentionally, and their correct timing was more likely due to chance than professionally calculated moves, a matter of mere milliseconds.
Waddilove recalls evaluating the continuously changing situation, wherein they were either in line or only centimetres behind two boats that had crossed. Another dynamic of the situation was the scrutiny of the race officer down the line, which could either result in a penalty or become a non-issue depending on his decision. Revisiting the incident, he believes it doesn’t alter anything significant; they would repeat their actions given the exact circumstances.
Regardless, the real issue was not about returning or not returning to the line, but their initial alignment between Croatia and Uruguay. Both boats aiming for a medal and beginning in sixth and ninth positions in the final race, they dared to push the boundaries. Consequently, Dickson and Waddilove ended up unintentionally trailing behind Icarus.
Dickson elaborates on a crucial error that initially positioned them between two competitors with nothing at stake. Being sandwiched between these two competitors, they did not anticipate the high-risk start that ensued. Starting behind a boat can lead to a loss of wind, ensuring a poor start and trailing position, so their strategy was to be slightly behind but not beyond the line and sufficiently forward for a proper start.
However, according to Dickson, they should have chosen a different spot on the starting line, close to their main rivals, being the Spanish and the New Zealand teams. In the crucial minute leading up to the start, when everyone was shifting places, they stood still. It resulted in their placement next to the two daring boats, pushing them to join the risky start, and leading them to an uncomfortably close position.
Once they fell behind, they banked on the hopes of other boats blundering to pull them out of the sludgy start. Despite ten boats being in the race and Croatia getting disqualified, they came in at ninth position. A frustrating finish, amassing 18 points, which slid them down to fourth place overall, three points shy of the bronze position, an intensely raw deal.
That evening, they sought solace in the company of family and friends, choosing to rinse off the day’s residue. The detailed delve into where it went wrong was postponed. It wasn’t as if they intentionally dodged discussing the race; they were cognizant of the fact that it wouldn’t alter the result.
Dickson recalls a conversation from that night, where someone spoke the words, “A medal isn’t the key to happiness.” To which he humorously retorted, “It would certainly put a smile on my face today!”. Waddilove humorously confesses to have made that remark.
Both agree that while they know individuals who have won Olympic medals, their delight often fades after a couple of months. They emphasise that the aim is to perform, not merely receive a medal. The desired result will naturally follow if everything is executed flawlessly. Their belief is firmly rooted in the concept that running after medals can lead to dissatisfaction if they are not achieved.
Hence, their journey continues. The duo has taken part in two Olympic games so far, and though solid plans have not yet been formulated, they are likely to join forces for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. At the ages of 26 and 27, Dickson and Waddilove are precisely four years younger than the Spanish duo who triumphed in Marseilles. The timing might be just right for them.