SEAN WADDILOVE knows he has his work cut out to outshine former schoolmate Ciaran Frawley this summer – but will give it a shot.
Frawley bounced back from his Champions Cup final disappointment – when he squandered a late chance to win the game – with a last-gasp winning drop goal for Ireland against South Africa last summer.
Waddilove was aware of Frawley’s rugby prowess before most.
The sailor said: “I was in school with him, I was in the same class as him all the way up to sixth uear. I actually used to walk to school with him as well, so I know him quite well.
“I played rugby up mainly JCT (Junior Cert) in schools but then did all the way up to SCT (Leaving Cert).
“I don’t think you could compare myself and Ciaran. He was definitely the better player. I haven’t seen him in a long while, we’re both very busy. So it’s just the odd time we’re in Skerries together.”
And, whilst Frawley has not followed the example of Hugo Keenan by throwing in his lot with the Sevens for the Olympics, Waddilove will again have local company in Marseilles – which hosts the sailing for the Paris Games – as he did in Tokyo.
Waddilove said: “It’s great, there’s myself from Skerries and also in the Rugby Sevens there’s Hugo Lennox, who qualified for Tokyo as well.
“Skerries is a relatively small town and to have two Olympians for the second time is unbelievable.”
But the person Waddilove will be spending most time with in the south of France is skiff partner Robert Dickson.
The pair were competitors as teenagers before joining forces.
Dickson said: “Back when we were in the Under-15s, the Optimists class, we sailed against each other. That’s when we became friends as well.”
Waddilove added: “I was the better one, just for the record. I think we were quite similar, we were on the same development teams growing up. Probably a mix of who was beating each other, depending on the week.
“I don’t think there was a rivalry. We probably spend more time together than we do with our families and we train nearly every day together, so it’s always nice to have someone pushing you and you pushing them.
“It helps you get through the tough times.”
WATER WORLD
The pair spent transition year together in La Rochelle, where they sailed on a daily basis.
But Dickson said: “I’d say we’re a little different.
“I think Sean is probably more organised and stuff like that and we have different interests outside of sailing as well.
“I like to do all sorts of things on the water like kite surfing and wind foiling and surfing.”
And Waddilove said: “I probably prefer to stay off the water when I’m not training. I’d have enough of it.
“Robert is probably a bit more laid back and relaxed and I’m probably a bit more kind of fiery, but I think the two complement each other very well in the boat.”
There have been ups and downs along the way. In Tokyo, they won their opening race but were then disqualified from two races because of a rule infringement which effectively cost them the chance to take part in the medal race.
Dickson explained: “We attach ourselves to the boat with the harness and basically stand off the edge to get more leverage, to get more power.
“There is just a weight limit on the harness. There’s a test where they dunk it in water and hang it for one minute. If it’s over a certain weight at the end of the minute, then it’s against the rules.
“What happened basically was, we had tested the harnesses, but it was a few months beforehand.
“So basically they were soaking up more water and it ended up 90 grams too heavy. They were meant to be two kilos but that was enough and they disqualified us from two races because of it.”
Waddilove added: “It’s funny, well it’s not that funny. Since Tokyo they’ve increased the weight to 2.4 kilos.”
Dickson said: “We’re definitely not going to let it happen again.
“If we sail to the best of our ability, there’s no reason why a medal is out of reach. We’ll be aiming for it.”