Belcher is a hot favourite to become the first Australian sailor to ever win medals at three successive Games after being named to partner Will Ryan in the 470 Class in Tokyo.

Belcher and Ryan, the reigning world champions, secured silver at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 after Belcher and Malcolm Page won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Now, 20 years after carrying the flag as a teenager at the 2000 Sydney Games' closing ceremony as one of eight young development athletes selected specially for the honour, Belcher will get the chance to etch his name in Olympic folklore in Japan.

"We're in a really good position coming in to Tokyo and if we have the opportunity to medal, that would be brilliant," Belcher said.

"We've been working really, really hard, obviously finishing second in Rio and we want gold and everything we're doing is trying to achieve that."

The omens are good for Belcher, who celebrated his inclusion on a third Games team on his 37th birthday on Friday.

The sailing competition in Japan will be at Enoshima Harbour, the venue where Belcher and Ryan won their fifth world championship in the 470 Class last month.

That was Belcher's eighth world title in total.

The third sailor named on Friday was Matthew Wearn, who will be making his Olympic debut next year in the Laser Class.

The 23-year-old from Perth is currently the world's top-ranked Laser sailor.

Sailing has been a rich source of medals for Australia ever since James Sargeant, Peter O'Donnell and William Northam won the country's first gold in Tokyo in 1964 in the 5.5-metre Class.

With six golds from the past three Olympics, hopes are again high for Australia's sailors.

"Australian sailing has a proud history of success at the Olympics - and this group is no different," said Australian sailing president Matt Allen.

Australian Associated Press