Date: November 12, 1999

TUFTS GRAD MENDELBLATT NAMED U.S. OLYMPIC SAILOR OF THE YEAR

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee has recognized four athletes as the sport's U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Athletes of the Year. One of the recipients of the honor is 1995 Tufts University graduate and laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, FL).

"These four elite athletes have shown us all how hard work and determination pays off," said Olympic Sailing Committee Chair Bob Hobbs. "Their unwavering commitment to their Olympic dreams becomes even more significant with the Sydney Olympic Games now less than a year away."

As US SAILING's USOC Athletes of the Year, these sailors will be considered for the overall USOC Team of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year Awards. Slated for announcement on January 8, 2000, the USOC award winners will be selected from the Athletes of the Year recognized by each Olympic sport's national governing body.

Mendelblatt, three-time Collegiate All-American under head coach Ken Legler at Tufts and member of the US Sailing Team since 1996, earned recognition for his steady rise up the ranks of the Laser class during 1999.

Since last January at the '99 Laser World Championships, held in Melbourne, Australia, Mendelblatt has made his presence known internationally. His eighth-place finish in the 142-boat fleet, earned him attention as the top American. Later that month, he topped the 41-boat Laser fleet at the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta with seven first-place finishes in the 12-race series. Mendelblatt also posted wins at the Elvstrom-Zellerbach Regatta and the Laser Olympic Pre-Trials and was third out of 90 Lasers at the Danish Olympic Regatta.

Mendelblatt's best performance was at this summer's Pan Am Games in Canada, where he battled Brazil's '96 Olympic Gold Medalist Robert Scheidt constantly throughout the series. Competing in a fleet of 15 boats, Mendelblatt dropped his two worst scores -- a sixth and a fourth-- while posting two first-place finishes in the 11-race series, a performance that was strong enough to earn him the silver medal to Scheidt's gold.

The other recipients were: In the Team category are Star skipper Eric Doyle (San Diego, Calif.) and crew Tom Olsen (E. Dennis, Mass.). Boardsailor Lanee Butler (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) is the Female Athlete of the Year. Bestowed annually, the USOC Athlete of the Year awards are based on outstanding performance in competition.

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