British sailor Elliot Willis diagnosed with bowel cancer

British sailor Elliot Willis has been diagnosed with bowel cancer ©Andre Bittencourt/British Sailing Team

Sailor Elliot Willis, one of the first British athletes to qualify for Rio 2016, has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The two-times world champion in the 470 class was due to make his Olympic debut at next year’s Games along with teammate Luke Patience, winner of a silver medal at London 2012.

It is not yet known whether the diagnosis will rule him out of competing at Rio 2016, with his progress due to be assessed depending on advice from medical professionals, according to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

An appropriate course of treatment is currently being determined for Willis, who looks likely to take some time out of competition as a result.

“Clearly it’s pretty shocking news to receive, as I’m sure anyone who’s been affected by a similar thing would understand,” Willis said.

“It’s still my dream to win Olympic gold but right now my focus and energy needs to be on getting better.

“My health is my number one concern and I will take advice and recommendations of the medical professionals as they establish the right course of treatment for me.”

Elliot Willis and Luke Patience were among the first British athletes to be officially selected for Rio 2016 ©Ocean Images/British Sailing Team

The world-number two ranked pair were two of the sailors named as some of the first competitors who will represent Britain, along with double Finn class world champion Giles Scott and women’s 470 London 2012 silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark.

"I’m gutted for Elliot,” Patience said.

“Everything else takes a back seat when something like this happens.

“Elliot absolutely needs to do what’s best for him and I’ll support him in whatever way I can.

“Inevitably he will need to take some time out of the boat so we will discuss the best approach to keeping the campaign moving forward and take some decisions on that front when we know more.”

The news has come as a shock to the RYA, with Olympic manager Stephen Park confirming they will look for another sailor to team up with Patience in the build-up to the Games.

“Elliot and Luke have made great progress to date in their campaign towards Rio - we are conscious of the need to keep that momentum going as far as possible,” he said.

“While we will need to work with Luke to find another crew for him to sail with for the time being, we hope Elliot can still be involved should his recovery allow.

“The British Sailing Team is a close-knit family and all our thoughts are with Elliot for a speedy recovery.”