Silver Success for WA Sailors

Laser sailor Matt Wearn and the 470 pairing of Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries have taken silver medals at the Tokyo World Cup event in Enoshima.

 

In scenes reminiscent of August’s Tokyo Test event, the medal race in the men’s laser class was cancelled due to light winds.

 

On this occasion – in a mirror outcome of the earlier Test event – Wearn was left to celebrate a podium success in lieu of racing, after finishing in second place ahead of Australian teammate Tom Burton in fourth.

 

What this means for Australia’s laser nomination on the Australian Olympic Team, only team selectors will know. Both men have enjoyed strong seasons, with ultimately either athlete more than capable of filling the role with aplomb.

 

Former World Champion Pavlos Kontides reminded the fleet of his talents, posting his best result of an otherwise quiet season to win the World Cup event ahead of Wearn and Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA).

 

In the 470, Jerwood and de Vries were able to contest their medal race but did see the leaders’ bib taken away with the team shifting from first to second at the close of racing.

 

The Aussies were in a battle with Spain – who needed to finish clear of Australia with one further boat place between them. And that is precisely what the Europeans managed, finishing in fourth place to Australia’s sixth. With the doublepoints factored in, it switched the pair and sent the gold medal home with Spain.

 

The disappointment will be comparatively minor for the Australians however, who in finishing in second place, and having already qualified the nation’s spot for Tokyo at the recent World Championships – are now extremely likely to earn the nod from the Australian team selectors to compete at a first Olympic Games next year.

 

 

David and Lachy Gilmour missed out on the medal round in the men’s 49er – taking 14^th place overall.

 

Luke Elliott finished 28^th in the men’s laser, Caitlin Elks and her skipper Amelia Stabback were 19^thin the women’s 49erFX and Zoe Thomson (27^th) and Elyse Ainsworth (35^th) competed in the laser radial.