Aussie sailors to compete as Americans
Two of Australia's best sailors could compete as US citizens at the next America's Cup, handing defending champions Oracle Team USA a major advantage over its key rival - Team Australia.
Two-time America's Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill and Olympic Laser class champion Tom Slingsby have both represented Australia at the very highest levels of the sport for years, with Slingsby draping himself in the Aussie flag at the London Games.
But the Sydney-born sailors are likely to compete as American citizens at the 35th America's Cup - giving Oracle a tremendous advantage under new rules, revealed on Wednesday, that state each team at the next Auld Mug must recruit a quarter of their crew from home.
Slingsby holds dual nationality by virtue of his mother while Spithill is married to an American and holds a green card.
When asked by AAP if he would compete at the next America's Cup as an American, Spithill replied: "Maybe - Larry can be very persuasive."
"Larry" is Larry Ellison - Oracle Team USA's billionaire owner.
Slingsby did not respond to a request for comment but Team Australia CEO Iain Murray is certain both men will compete for Oracle as Americans.
"(Slingsby) is equally as US as he is Australian - he has a US passport," Murray added.
"Jimmy Spithill has been in America for 10 years ... he may as well be American too; he even goes on like an American these days."
Slingsby's decision has interesting implications should he want to resume his Olympic career.
The Gosford-based sailor is unlikely to compete at the Rio 2016 Games but has not ruled out a future Olympic comeback.
But IOC rules state that dual passport holders must stand aside from competition for three years before switching countries.
With the America's Cup due to be held in 2017, that could rule Slingsby out of any comeback at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
