Aquece Rio International Regatta – Nick Thompson’s riding high

by RYA on 9 Aug 2015 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games – Laser sailing star Nick Thompson admits that his recent World Championship victory has come as a timely confidence boost in his quest to qualify for his first Olympic Games at Rio 2016.

Thompson will be the sole British Sailing Team representative in the Laser class at the upcoming Aquece Rio International Regatta (15-22 August) – the second Olympic Test Event for sailing and the final official dress rehearsal for the sport by the Olympic Games organisers ahead of the main event next year.

After four previous World Championship podium finishes, the Lymington sailor finally cracked the top spot last month in Kingston, Canada.

And now with one year to go to the 2016 Games, the 29-year-old believes he’s on track towards selection and realising his Olympic ambitions.

“Winning the World Championship last month was really a kind of relief for me. Having come so close before, to finally do it was really a huge relief and almost a ‘monkey off the back’ moment.

“It had been a while since I’d actually won a big event. I’ve kept medalling at events, but never quite won them so to actually do it was huge and that is a huge confidence boost as we get closer to the Games.”

Rio is a notoriously testing sailing venue, and time spent in the venue will be invaluable in understanding the conditions and racecourse characteristics which will determine Olympic glory next year.

For Thompson, this summer’s trip is his sixth and he’s starting to feel at home at the Brazilian venue.

“I think I’m starting to become quite comfortable with the place and the waters. There are issues with spending a lot of time here which have been widely talked about, and risks associated with that, but I think that our team is doing a fantastic job of managing those and trying to stay on top of them, from day to day living to the things we’re doing on the water.

“I feel pretty comfortable now, almost safe in the environment, which compared to my first trip here is a totally different feeling. I’m happy with the place and I’m learning a lot from the conditions on the water.”

“I’ve competed here a lot now, and generally I’ve had some pretty solid results,” Thompson continued.

“The last Test Event didn’t finish too well – I wasn’t able to sail the last race and the medal race due to an unfortunate and unavoidable injury, which was quite costly but I still managed to come away with a medal, so that was pretty pleasing.

“I’m very comfortable sailing on these waters and I think a lot of people aren’t so I feel in a good place.”

British Sailing Team for the Aquece Rio International Regatta (15-22 August):
Laser – Nick Thompson
Laser Radial – Alison Young
Finn – Giles Scott
RS:X Men – Nick Dempsey
RS:X Women – Bryony Shaw
470 Men – Luke Patience-Elliot Willis
470 Women – Hannah Mills-Saskia Clark
49er – John Pink-Stuart Bithell
49erFX – Charlotte Dobson-Sophie Ainsworth
Nacra 17 – John Gimson-Hannah Diamond

Read more from Nick Thompson in his latest British Sailing team blog.