Thompson expects tough battle in quest for first Laser Worlds gold
Written by RYA | 10 September 2014
Laser sailor hopes to better his hat-trick of Worlds podium finishes
Leading British Laser sailor Nick Thompson believes an ISAF Sailing World Championship victory next week would be a great step forward in his quest for Rio gold in two years’ time.
The Lymington sailor, who has appeared on the Laser World Championship podium three times (bronze 2009; silver 2010, 2011) but has yet to make the top step, has secured bronze medals at his two other key events this season – the European Championships and the Rio Olympic Test Event.
But a first World Championship gold at the Santander regatta, which gets underway for the Laser class on Friday 12 September, would be a welcome boost to his campaign.
“It would mean a lot,” the 28-year-old Thompson admitted.
“I think if there is going to be an event to do it at then this has to be the one. The ISAF Worlds is always that little bit special as it’s only every four years, and I think to do it here would be fantastic and to also do it two years out from the Games would again be a really big achievement.
“So that is my aim, but I’m going to take it as it comes. I think it going to be a tricky old event.”
Thompson will be one of five British Sailing Team members competing in the 150-boat Laser fleet – the biggest and arguably most closely-fought of the classes, which also includes including Britain’s newly-crowned Laser u21 World and European Champion Lorenzo Chiavarini.
Thompson counts Brazil’s Robert Scheidt and Australian Tom Burton among his key rivals for the world title, but says that it will be an open race with the medals likely determined at the last gasp in the medal race on Thursday 18 September.
“To single out one person out would be tricky. There are a lot of guys who given there day will get a good result here and I think it will go right down to the wire and probably down to the medal race.
“If you look down the list there are few guys that stand out and who have been performing pretty consistently but again you could keep going down the world ranking list and pick anyone who if they have a good week will certainly be challenging.”
“The lead up to this event I have been sailing pretty well. The events I have competed in so far have gone well, it would be nice to get a medal of a different colour and try and get a gold medal this time around. I think I will just take the event as it comes and go into it pretty positive and feeling confident in my sailing so far.
“To get a third medal for the season here would be a fantastic result and more importantly a step towards Rio gold.”
The women’s Laser Radial event also gets underway on Friday’s first day of the staggered racing schedule, with British women Alison Young, Chloe Martin and Hannah Snellgrove hoping to put up a solid showing in the 120-boat fleet.
Martin, 24, won bronze at the Santander World Championship Test event on the same waters a year ago, and earned her first World Cup podium finish – also a bronze – at the Palma event in April, while Podium Potential squad sailor Snellgrove also enjoyed a breakthrough at the Hyeres World Cup event in the same month where she qualified for her first World Cup medal race to finish the regatta in eighth.
Meanwhile, London 2012 Olympian Young, who picked up silver on her comeback at the Rio Test Event last month, wants to continue her progress back in the boat after illness ruled her out of action earlier in the season.
“I had a fair bit of time out of the boat at the start of this year, so it’s hard to come in with much expectation results-wise,” said the Bewdley sailor of her World Championship prospects.
“I’m still kind of learning where I’m at in the fleet. But having medalled in Rio I don’t think a medal is out of the question. I’ll certainly be going out there to do my best. You don’t put yourself on the startline to try and come second, so we’ll see what happens.
“With this being a qualification regatta and the first opportunity to qualify the nation for Rio, that is there at the back of your mind, but if you pay attention to the processes then the result will just be the consequence of that.”
The 27-year-old says she’s looking forward to some varied racing conditions when the quest for World Championship honours gets underway.
“From the training we’ve done out here, Santander seems to be a very varied venue. Generally there’s a bit of swell with light-ish sea breezes but it can be breezy as well so I think we can look forward to a fairly mixed regatta, and learning each day.”
British contenders in the Laser and Laser Radial fleets:
Laser
Nick Thompson
Alex Mills-Barton
Elliot Hanson
Martin Evans
Lorenzo Chiavarini
Laser Radial
Alison Young
Chloe Martin
Hannah Snellgrove
Georgina Povall
Ellie Cumpsty
Rhiannon Massey
Racing in Santander sees a staggered schedule across the ten classes:
12-18 September: Laser and Laser Radial
13-19 September: RS:X Men and RS:X Women
14-20 September: 470 Men and 470 Women
15-21 September: 49er, 49erFX, Finn and Nacra 17
Full a full list of British competitors and all the latest from the ISAF Sailing World Championships, stay with us at
www.britishsailingteam.com, on
Facebook or on Twitter @BritishSailing!