Scottish sailor Anna Burnet on hopes of bringing home gold at Paris Olympics

Scottish sailor Anna Burnet hopes three years of hard work will pay off in the countdown to the Paris Olympics.

The two-time world champion from Helensburgh aims to bring home gold as she heads to France on the Nacra 17 catamaran with her partner John Gimson.

The pair have won multiple world and European titles in their Nacra 17 catamaran – and clinched silver at the Toyko 2020 games.

The 31-year-old hopes she will achieve their long-held ambition of sailing to the top step of the podium this summer.

She told STV News: “When I was about ten years old, I decided that I wanted to go to the Olympics.

“From that moment on its always been a dream and a goal. Then when I teamed up with John, it really felt like that goal could become a reality.

“Then we won the silver medal – I think once you know you realise what you’re capable of and what we can achieve as a team, the goals get bigger.”

Not only are they partners on the water but also on dry land.

Anna and John’s relationship has allowed them to build a strong bond having sailed together for seven years.

She added: “It’s a high pressure environment on the water. I think to be able to understand each other that well, to know how to bring the best out of each other, is a huge factor in doing well in the racing. Especially in a big week like the Olympic Games.

“You know when the pressure is on, some people deliver and some people don’t. I think we just have to get the best out of each other and we know if we can do that, anything is possible.”

Anna and John have already achieved podium success this year – and to change things up – broke the world record for the fastest crossing from Ireland to Scotland.

The pair sailed from Ballyhome to Portpatrick in just over an hour.

It also proved an enjoyable diversion from the pressure approaching the Olympics

She said: “The goal really is to try and offload that pressure and not think of it so much about needing to win a medal, it’s that we have the ability to win a medal.

“We would love to win a gold medal and just do everything we can to try and achieve that. But at the end of the day this is sailing, you can’t control the weather.

“Particularly in Marseille. It’s a really challenging venue, very difficult to predict.”

And to boost that venue confidence, Anna and John are basing themselves at the Olympic race site in the South of France.

She added: “We’re going to be spending all of our time from May through all the way to the Olympics in Marsielle, just gathering as much information as we can on the weather, the sea. the sea states.

“We’re just trying to get ourselves as best prepared and comfortable at the venue as we can.”