Thompson's joy at Laser world title
Nick Thompson completes his World Championship medal collection with gold in Kingston, Canada
British sailing star Nick Thompson admitted he was “over the moon” to have finally sealed World Championship gold, winning with a race to spare as the seven-day regatta drew to a close in Kingston, Canada.
Thompson becomes the first British Laser World Champion since Paul Goodison (2009) to claim the coveted world crown in the highly competitive men’s single-handed class, having won two silvers and two bronze medals from previous editions (2009, 2014 bronze; 2010, 2011 silver).
The 29-year-old Lymington sailor was determined to complete the medal set, and claimed victory in style, counting nine results inside the top seven from the 13 races staged at the site of the 1976 Olympic sailing regatta.
“I’m kind of speechless to be honest. It’s been a long time coming!” said a relieved Thompson.
“I’ve medalled in four other Worlds and come so close but never quite won one, and to finally do it – and do it the year before the Olympics when it really matters… I’m over the moon about it!”
After an impressive penultimate day of the regatta on Tuesday, in which Thompson posted 7,2,4 to set up a 20 point lead, the title was within touching distance. But a three-race final day amid a tricky offshore breeze meant nothing was certain, as Thompson was acutely aware.
“I struggled [to sleep last night],” he admitted. “Normally I don’t get too wound up by anything or too stressed out, but having had such a good day yesterday I was riding high on emotion.
“I had a good lead and a good discard so I was kind of thinking ‘actually this could happen’, whereas previously the whole way through the event I’d managed to keep pretty level-headed.
“Today was a really tough day on the water. We had offshore winds which we hadn’t see all week so I knew from the onset that it was going to be a big points day. The only thing that kept me calm in that is that I’d obviously had such a good series before so I had a good discard.
“To finally win one, and the hardest event to win, is brilliant.”
Silver went to Germany’s Philipp Buhl, and bronze to Australian Tom Burton.
The British Sailing Team’s young Podium Potential talents impressed at the regatta as well, with Lorenzo Chiavarini securing his first top ten finish at a senior Worlds, finishing in tenth, Elliot Hanson rounded off his regatta in 22nd and Alex Mills Barton was 30th.
Full results from the 2015 Laser World Championships
British sailors are still in major Championship action this week at the Nacra 17 World Championship in Aarhus (DEN) which conclude on Friday (10 July), and the 49er European Championship in Porto (POR), which concludes on Sunday (12 July).
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