Thompson takes second straight Laser Worlds title<\/p>\n
Written by RYA | 19 May 2016<\/p>\n
Victory in Vallarta as Thompson takes his second world title<\/p>\n
Nick Thompson admitted he was \u2018elated\u2019 to capture a second consecutive World Championship crown as the Laser Worlds drew to a close in Vallarta, Mexico, on Wednesday (18 May).<\/p>\n
The Lymington sailor clinched victory by 12 points over French rival Jean Baptiste Bernaz to add a second world title to his maiden victory in 2015, having led the seven-day regatta from the outset. Bronze went to the Netherlands\u2019 Rutger Van Schaardenburg.<\/p>\n
Thompson is the third British World Champion to be crowned this year in the ten Olympic classes with just 79 days to go until the Rio 2016 Games, joining Laser Radial Alison Young and four-time Finn Worlds winner Giles Scott on top of the Worlds podium and seeing the British Sailing Team top the 2016 World Championship medal table across the Olympic disciplines.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a pretty tricky event,\u201d Thompson explained. \u201cWe managed to get all the races in and I was leading from day one and so I was a little bit stressed with that, being the defending World Champion. But I\u2019m over the moon to have finished on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thompson got his regatta off to a flying start, picking up two race wins on the first day of the event, and never looked back. \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said I wasn\u2019t feeling a little bit of extra pressure on me,\u201d the Rio-bound sailor continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something I try not to think about at all but I really tried very hard just to focus on each race. I kind of knew that we were going to get most of the race in so it was going to be a long old slog. Once I nailed the double bullet I was like \u2018oh blimey, the pressure is definitely on me\u2019. But I think I managed to cope with it pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n
In spite of Thompson taking a 19 point lead into the final day, the last two races provided a tough test for the 30-year-old, who had to discard a 41st in the first race of the day before sealing victory with a ninth place in the final race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually sailed a good first race up until the second beat where I was in the position I needed to be in and there was a big shift which let JB, the French guy, go from nearly last to top five at the next mark.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuddenly it was all back on again and I was on the other side of the course having lost quite a few places. That was really frustrating, but I regrouped and focused on the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thompson takes great confidence from this latest triumph as he heads towards his first Olympic Games, but is not about to take his foot off the gas in his quest for the Rio podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pleasing to have done this because it shows we\u2019re moving in the right direction and the things I\u2019ve been needing to work on have been covered.<\/p>\n
\u201cRio\u2019s a very tricky venue and is different to what we\u2019ve had here so I think there\u2019s still some work to do, but pretty much I just need to maintain the hard work we\u2019ve done already and I think we should be in a good place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely stoked to see Giles win his fourth Worlds and Ali win her first Worlds,\u201d said Thompson of his teammates’ achievements.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so pleased for them and they both work so hard. It puts us in a great place going into Rio and we\u2019re looking like one of the teams to beat which is fantastic. I\u2019m really pleased to have joined the other two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere at the Laser Worlds, British Sailing Team Podium Potential sailor Jack Wetherell finished his regatta in 23rd place, Michael Beckett was 24th, Lorenzo Chiavarini 25th, Elliot Hanson was 29th and Henry Wetherell 51st.<\/p>\n
Full results are available at www.laserworlds2016.org<\/p>\n
Thompson will next be in action at the Sailing World Cup Weymouth & Portland \u2013 the final major event before the Rio Games \u2013 from 6-12 June.<\/p>\n
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