June 7, 2012

U.S. sailor has world title, seeks Olympic gold

As part of USA TODAY Sports' "100 Olympic hopefuls in 100 Days" series, prospective U.S. Olympians give their thoughts on the Games in their own words.

Growing up in Bayport, N.Y., on Long Island's South Shore, Debbie Capozzi remembers going out for Italian ice on summer nights with her parents, brother and two sisters.

Four years ago, her family opened its own shop in Patchogue, N.Y., named Tina's Italian Ices after Capozzi's younger sister, Christina.

When she's not helping dish up summertime treats, Capozzi, 30, is part of the USA's most successful sailing team. Competing in the new Olympic discipline of women's match racing, Capozzi, skipper Anna Tunnicliffe (who won a national championship with Capozzi at Old Dominion) and crewmate Molly Vandemoer, won the 2011 world title.

They will try to defend that title June 25-20 at the 2012 worlds in Gothenburg, Sweden, before heading to London.

Capozzi, who sailed at the 2008 Olympics in the Yngling class, recently spoke to reporters at the U.S. Olympic Committee media summit in Dallas.

Read the full article in USA Today by Vicki Michaelis here.