Robert Dickson
Sailing
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Dickson represented Ireland in the men’s 49er skiff at two Olympic Games, finishing 13th at Tokyo 2020 and 4th at Paris 2024 alongside crew Seán Waddilove – one of the most heartbreaking near-misses in Irish sporting history.
At Paris, sailing in Marseille, the pair held second place overall for the entire regatta week in some of the most challenging conditions in living Olympic memory, entering the medal race in silver medal position. Their medal hopes were ended in the opening seconds when they marginally crossed the start line early, were forced to turn back and restart, and finished 9th in the medal race to drop to 4th overall.
Dickson is from Sutton, Co. Dublin and is a member of Howth Yacht Club. He learned to sail on the Shannon with his family and competed nationally from the age of 10. He first stepped into a 49er with Waddilove at Howth Yacht Club in 2015 and the pair won the U23 World Championship in 2018. They won selection for Tokyo 2020 in a competitive trial against established pair Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle. At Tokyo they won two races in the series, finishing 13th overall. They qualified for Paris by finishing 8th at the 2023 European Championship in Vilamoura.
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