Sailing: Alex Maloney on post-Tokyo split with Molly Meech and teaming up in 49er FX with Olivia Hobbs for Paris bid

Molly Meech and Alex Maloney after claiming Olympic silver in the 49erFX class in 2016. Photo / Photosport.

After a disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Alex Maloney considered her options.

A silver medallist in the 49er FX sailing class with long-time teammate Molly Meech in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, failing to qualify for the podium race in Tokyo was a tough result to take.

It was the last regatta Maloney and Meech would sail together, with the pair deciding to bring an end to their near 10-year partnership which included a world championship title in 2013.

“I guess we came to the conclusion that potentially we weren’t able to like push ourselves the way maybe we thought we needed to for another Olympic campaign,” Maloney said.

“We are really good friends and I think we both felt like maybe it was time for a change, which was tricky because I still feel like we really underperformed at the Olympics and we still had a lot of potential.”

For Maloney, the split gave her an opportunity to evaluate her career and exactly where she wanted to take it next.

A short turnaround between Olympics from Tokyo to Paris in 2024 was compelling, and Maloney ultimately decided to get back on board the 49er FX, reaching out to Olivia Hobbs about joining forces to challenge for a spot in Paris.

The pair are progressing nicely since teaming up in early 2022, as they build towards the world championships in the Netherlands in August this year. They claimed the national championship title last weekend and are eyeing a repeat performance at the Oceanbridge Sailing Regatta at Torbay Sailing Club this weekend.

“I think we’re both feeling more confident in the boat together and just where we’re as a team,” Maloney said of teaming up with Hobbs.

“I think a lot of it comes down to, it might sound obvious that teamwork because I think this really rewards like synchronization and like really being on the same page with your loading with your body weight and everything that goes into making the boat go fast and I think it takes a while to build that synchronisation.”

The race is on to get into the best possible place before the world championships, as only one Kiwi boat per class can earn a spot at the Olympics.

They’re not the only team vying for the position, either. While Maloney has teamed up with Hobbs, Meech joined forces with two-time 470 Olympic medalist Jo Aleh, who returns to the water in an Olympic class after spending most last five years coaching.

Maloney said while it was a bit different sailing against someone she had spent so long in a team with, she wasn’t sure that aspect of her present racing added to her motivation, given her already strong drive to get to another Olympic Games.

“It has a lot of potential within the New Zealand squad for us to really push each other and I guess the overall goal in my mind is for the boat that does get selected hopefully is more prepared to win an Olympic medal,” Maloney said.

“To go to the Olympics, I really do want to be podium potential, and the top three boats in our fleet right now internationally have a big jump on the fleet in my opinion. They showed it at a few events including the last Worlds. So, I think the target’s quite high for both teams. You can’t really worry about each other because then you’re probably missing the bigger picture.

“If either of us really is going to try to win a gold medal, the target is pretty high and we both have so much to improve to get to that top spot.”