Sai: Sailors too busy to take good luck phone call from Kidman

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2008
Sai: Sailors too busy to take good luck phone call from Kidman

By Simon Mossman

QINGDAO, Aug 17 AAP - Few people would ignore a phone call from Nicole Kidman.

Malcolm Page, Olympic sailing team captain and gold medallist-in-waiting with 470 teammate
Nathan Wilmot, did - twice.

"Actually, one of them I bumped because I didn't recognise the number and I thought
it might have been a journalist or something back in Australia because it was on my Aussie
phone," Page said.

"I was getting breakfast and thought 'Ah, I just don't want to talk to her today',
so I bumped it and then two seconds later there was a message from Nicole wishing us both
good luck.

"It made a good conversation piece at the breakfast table."

Last week the award-winning actress recorded a message of support for triple world
champions Page and Wilmot, who named their dinghy Australia after her upcoming film, and
evidently it did the trick.

They were crowned unofficial Olympic champions yesterday, even before their final race
on Monday, after opening up an unassailable points lead over their nearest rivals.

"I did call her back after breakfast but she was on the set of Australia, very appropriately,"

Page said.

"We haven't actually spoken in mid-regatta but we've had plenty of contact from her."

It's not the first time Kidman has brought good luck to the Olympic champions-elect.

The pair with a habit of naming all their boats after Kidman's films won last year's
Olympic test event in their boat Dead Calm - the irony not lost in Qingdao, notorious
for its incredibly light sailing conditions.

"She's a good supporter to have on the side, I think," Wilmot said.

AAP sjm/jmt

KEYWORD: OLY08 SAI KIDMAN

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