Yachting Australia

Back:  Racing > High Performance Sailing > Olympics > 2004 Athens Olympics > 2004 Olympic Classes > Pre Games News When the Australian flag bearer was announced at yesterday’s team function in Athens, Australia learnt of Colin Beashel’s sixth Olympic Games appearance. Someone who has been at every one of those Games is Yachting Australia coach Mike Fletcher.

While the 2004 Olympic Games mark six appearances for Colin, it marks eight coaching appearances for Fletcher.

At a young age, 'Fletch' or 'Coach' as he's also known, was eager to kick start a career in AFL. After being selected to play for Collingwood at the age of 20, he broke his leg in a club game and has never been to another game of football since. From this a career as a sailor and coach flourished.

Fletcher's Olympic career started back in 1972 in Munich, where he coached the entire sailing team. Over 28 years he has coached athletes to seven Olympic medals, in addition to coaching the successful 1983 American's Cup team and heading up several other sailing teams including the 1975 Admiral's Cup team.

Fletcher can also lay claim to coaching Colin Beashel to his first national title when Beashel was just seven years old!

So what's his most memorable moment from all these years? 'Marching into the Olympic stadium during the opening ceremony for the first time - it's the most amazing feeling to represent your country and walk out as part of that team'.