London Olympics 2012 – Laser Class returns to natural order

by Rob Kothe on 4 Aug 2012 Australia’s Tom Slingsby, the five times Laser World Champion and short priced Olympic Gold medal favourite, is back in the lead of the London 2012 Laser competition.

Slingsby had been second in series just a point behind Cypriot Pavlos Kontides. He had a tough first race today, sailing his drop with a 15th place. Kontides sailed a discard 12th, but Paul Goodison (GBR) now forced to carry his 18th, has effectively bowed out of medal contention.

But the world returned to normal for the Australian when he started well in race eight and only had to sail though Singapore’s Colin Cheung to take the gun.

When he came ashore Slingsby was obviously relieved.

'After the first race I had that sinking feeling that everything’s not really going right this regatta. I just wasn’t sailing well and my confidence was down.

'But after the first race I reset, knowing that if I do get away I’m hard to catch.'

And he was; fast off the line the World Champion was back.

With Kontides scoring a seventh in this race Slingsby now has a five point series lead.

By contrast the Beijing Laser Gold Medallist Paul Goodison looked shattered as he came ashore. After the first race 18th and a second race 12th the British sailor admits his 2012 Olympic dream is over.

1	AUS	Tom Slingsby	2	1	2	6	9	2	(yes14)yes	1				37.0	23.0
2	CYP	Pavlos Kontides	9	4	1	1	2	4	(yes12)yes	7				40.0	28.0
3	CRO	Tonci Stipanovic	5	6	(yes20)yes	4	3	1	8	13				60.0	40.0
4	SWE	Rasmus Myrgren	11	5	4	5	(yes25)yes	10	4	9				73.0	48.0
5	GUA	Juan Ignacio Maegli Aguero	1	10	7	13	5	(yes20)yes	7	10				73.0	53.0
6	GER	Simon Grotelueschen	14	12	(yes19)yes	3	7	8	19	4				86.0	67.0
7	FRA	Jean Baptiste Bernaz	3	(yes21)yes	6	9	19	11	2	18				89.0	68.0
8	GBR	Paul Goodison	10	(yes23)yes	16	2	4	9	17	12				93.0	70.0
9	NZL	Andrew Murdoch	12	8	17	(yes18)yes	1	7	13	15				91.0	73.0
10	ARG	Julio Alsogaray	20	7	5	11	12	23	1	(yes50)yes BFD				129.0	79.0