Cecilia Wollmann’s successful Olympic qualifying bid in Miami last week has raised the expectations for the 2020 Tokyo games, according to the teenage sailor’s coach, Christian Noe.

Noe, who hails from Argentina, accompanied Wollmann at last week’s World Cup where she became the first Bermuda athlete to officially secure their ticket to Rio 2016.

Not bad for an 18-year-old who originally had no intentions on trying to qualify for this summer’s games.

“This is a big step in life and adds more expectations for Tokyo 2020, which was our goal,” Noe said.

Wollmann, who celebrated her eighteenth birthday during the regatta, finished as the top North American sailor yet to qualify and 40th overall in a women’s Laser Radial fleet of 81 entries.

“It’s awesome to see her achieve her objective and I am very proud of her for the effort, the trust of the family and the support of friends plus the help of the Bermuda Olympic Association and Bermuda Sailing Association.”

Wollmann, who sails out of the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, punched well above her weight competing among the world’s elite to underline her enormous potential yet again.

“We knew that it would be more harder as the fleet split,” Noe said. “With just the best around the world remaining [Gold Fleet], we had to focus more on a one-on-one game and Cecilia never quit.”

It is believed that Wollmann, who is a Team Bermuda Red Bull Youth America’s Cup candidate, is the first sailor from the RHADC to qualify for the Olympics.

“We’re all very, very proud of her down at RHADC as a member and alum of our sailing programme,” Neil Redburn, the RHADC vice-commodore, said. “She’s amazing.

“It’s a marvellous achievement and congratulations also to her coach [Noe] and parents [Paul and Lesley] as this is the end result of the huge commitment required by all.”

Martin Siese, the Bermuda Sailing Association executive who coached Peter Bromby and Lee White at Athens 2004, added: “It’s outstanding really.

“We all thought this might be beyond her and that 2020 might have been a more realistic goal. But she pulled it out and is basically ahead of schedule and it’s fantastic.”