The team of 66 International Technical Officers (ITOs) will work with the team of National Technical Officials (NTOs) to ensure fair play and good racing at the 2008 Games in Qingdao, China.

With the new Medal Race format, which features on-the-water umpiring in the final race, Race Officials have never been more in the limelight. In order to meet this challenge, ISAF began the selection process for the ITO team back in November 2005. Since then the two Olympic Test Events have given the ITOs the perfect opportunity to gain experience, and ISAF an opportunity to evaluate their performance.

Helmut CZASNY, ISAF Competitions Manager, said, “The ITO team for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition is amongst the strongest ISAF has ever assembled. The ITO team is drawn from the elite of ISAF Race Officials worldwide and it’s fantastic to see over 30 nations represented.”

The final team is composed of four elements: the Technical Delegates, the ISAF Race Management Team, the ISAF International Jury and the ISAF Measurement Team. In total 32 nations are represented, covering Asia, Europe, Oceania and North and South America.

The two Technical Delegates have overall responsibility for overseeing the preparations for, and the conduct of the Olympic Sailing Competition. The Technical Delegates for Qingdao are ISAF Vice-President David KELLETT and ISAF Deputy Secretary General Jerome PELS, who was also Technical Delegate at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games.

The Race Management Team has the responsibility for running the races out on the water. It is made up of 26 ISAF International Race Officers, chaired by Charley COOK (USA). Twenty seven ISAF International Race Officials form the International Jury. David TILLETT (AUS) in the chairman of the Jury, a role he also occupied during the 2004 Athens Games. Dick BATT (GBR), chair of the ISAF Equipment Committee, heads up the 11-strong Measurement Team.

Click here to view the full list of International Technical Officials for the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition.

ISAF Olympic Games microsite - www.sailing.org/olympics
ISAF Race Officials - www.sailing.org/raceofficials