Patience and Grube leave Rio Olympic Sailing on high

by RYA on 19 Aug 2016 Luke Patience and Chris Grube believe they showed their “true qualities” after ending their Rio 2016 in fifth overall today (Thursday 18 August).

After vowing to end the regatta on a high, the Brits were true to their word finishing third in today’s double points Medal Race, as Croatia’s two-time World Champions, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic wrapped up gold.

Patience and Grube, partners for four years as young 470 sailors, teamed back up just eight months ago after Elliot Willis, who Patience had campaigned with for the Rio Olympic cycle, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2015.

Despite their lack of preparation time, the Brits showed their class posting eight results inside the top six from their 11 races. But a race six disqualification, combined with an opening race 21st and another 20th ultimately ended their medal hopes.

Patience and Grube were delighted to be able to leave Rio in style.

Patience said: “We dug so deep and stayed interested in moving up and solving a problem. We approached it with intensity.

“I know it wasn’t for medals but we treated it like it was and showed our true qualities because we had a bad start and we fought and fought. I’m happy, it’s been such a pleasure to sail with Chris over the last eight months, I feel happy, I really do.”

Grube, who has a toddler son, Edward, continued: “I am really proud of what we have achieved and thanks to Luke for giving me the opportunity to sail with him again, I have loved every moment. That last race sums it up for me, I really enjoyed the racing, it’s been so much fun. My little boy has been cheering us on all week.”

Patience and Grube didn’t enjoy the best start to the race, reaching the first mark in eighth. But with the battle for the medals unfolding towards the back of the fleet between Fantela and Marenic, Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) and Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) the Brits were able to manoeuvre their way through the pack to be in third by the time they reached the top mark for the second time.

The silver medal went to Belcher and Ryan with bronze for Mantis and Kagialis. Patience, who won London 2012 silver with Stuart Bithell, has nothing but praise for the Croatian 2016 Olympic champions.

He added: “They are deserving winners. They sailed out of their skins from the first race to the last and it’s been a long time coming. This is their third Olympics and their first medal. We are great friends and I have been racing against them since I was 13 in Optimists so it’s really nice to see an old couple of friends do that.”