Michael Beckett also known by Micky Beckett, 28, is from Solva, Pembrokeshire, and is a well-known British Sailor who is also a Tokyo Olympian now He will be making his third Olympic appearance in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Michael Beckett Qualified For 2024 Paris Olympics
Welsh sailor Michael Beckett has been named to Team Great Britain’s sailing team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“(Being selected) definitely gives you that peace of mind,”. “All it’s about now getting to the Games in the best possible shape to win the gold medal.”
said Beckett.
Beckett is one of 10 sailors already picked for Team GB’s sailing squad. He has been a consistent performer but struggled at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships.
“When you’ve overtrained, you don’t have that sense of perspective, you feel the same way as you did the day before. But over the space of months, you’ve just gradually declined in your mental acuteness, sharpness and energy to get stuff done and it’s imperceptible.“It’s a tough thing that every athlete has to deal with at some point and you just have to learn the lesson.”
Beckett explained
Beckett learned from that difficult experience. He bounced back to win silver at the 2022 World Championships, qualifying for a quota spot for Team GB for Paris 2024 which he will fill. Beckett hopes sharing his story will motivate others to get involved and stay active in sports.
Sailor Michael Beckett Going from TV Helper to Paris 2024 Olympian
Michael Beckett will finally make his Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games as part of the first 10 athletes named to Team Great Britain’s sailing team.
The obsessed sailing fan got a call to help at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, just not the call he dreamed of getting. Instead of being selected to compete, he was asked to be a “live production spotter” to help the TV broadcast. He assisted the director in explaining the narrative and strategy of the sailing races.
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Now Beckett has qualified for a quota spot for Team GB for the Paris 2024 Games by winning silver at the 2022 World Championships. He will fill that spot when he makes his long-awaited first Olympic appearance in Paris.
Beckett is one of over 1,000 British athletes supported by the UK Sport World Class Programme. This National Lottery-funded program allows athletes to train full-time with access to top coaches and medical care – critical for reaching the Olympics.
Michael Beckett’s Early Years and His Education
Micky Beckett was born on March 27, 1995, in the small coastal village of Solva in Wales. He grew up by the sea and became an avid sailor at a very young age.
Beckett started sailing when he was around 5 years old in Solva Harbour. His dad ran a local sailing school and his brother also sailed, so he took to it naturally. Even when he fell into the water, there was always someone to help him out.
He began racing at age 9 in Topper dinghies. In 2009, he won the Topper Nationwide Championship series. He then switched to the Laser Radial boat and found early success.
Beckett studied Ship Science and Naval Architecture at the University of Southampton. During university, he was asked to join the British Sailing Team. He also earned an osteopathy diploma from Oxford.
Though Beckett enjoyed his university studies, since finishing his degree in 2016 he has forgotten most of the advanced maths he worked hard to learn. He turned his focus to professional sailing after graduation.
Michael Beckett Sailing Career Till Now
Michael’s Early Career began at age 10
Beckett began entering junior dinghy sailing competitions as early as age 10 in 2005. Over the next several years, he progressively worked his way up the rankings in Topper and Laser Radial events on the UK youth circuit.
Some finishes from 2005-2009
- 123rd in 2005 Sunsail Nationwide
- 53rd in 2006 Eric Twiname
- 78th in 2007 Craftinsure Nationwide Topper
- 1st in 2008 Pwllheli Topper
- 2nd in 2009 TCA Northern Winter Regatta
In 2010, Beckett started the difficult transition to the more physically demanding Olympic-class Laser Radial boat. Though initially tough, he soon came out as one of the top young Radial sailors nationally.
Major Achievements as a Junior
- 2012 – Won RYA Youth Nationals and competed at ISAF Youth Worlds
- 2012 – Won silver at Youth European Champs
- 2012 – Qualified for the UK’s youth Olympic sailing team
At just age 17, Beckett began training with the senior Olympic squad including medalists like Nick Thompson. This allowed the promising young sailor to keep sharply developing against world-class competition
By progressing up the youth ranks, Beckett earned his place among Britain’s elite Olympic sailors and established his way toward global success.
Professional Career
In 2013, just months after the Olympics at age 18, Beckett raced at his first-ever World Cup. He faced many Olympians and professionals, learning against the highest level of competition.
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Remarkably, he was racing legends like 5-time medalist Robert Scheidt who won silver at age 41. This early exposure prepared Beckett for future success.
Major Professional Achievements:
- 2015 – 2nd Laser U21 Worlds
- 2016 – Graduated from university, turned fully professional
- 2017 – Won Laser Q event
- 2018 – Top 20 finishes in the Sailing World Cup
- 2019 – Top 25s in major ILCA 7 events
- 2020 – 5th at Euros, 13th at Worlds
In the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships, Beckett continues battling for titles as he leads the ILCA 7 World Championships. He holds a narrow edge over defending Olympic gold medalist Matt Wearn entering the final races. Their duel mirrors the 2020 Olympic Test event where Wearn edged Beckett by one spot.
Now 28, Beckett has established himself as an elite Olympic-class sailor after years of mastering his craft on the international circuit. He heads towards the 2024 Paris Games in peak form to capture a medal.
