Rio 2016 - Tom Burton wins Australian Olympic nomination in Laser

by Rob Kothe on 20 Mar 2016 World number one Laser sailor Tom Burton has won selection for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Burton has beaten world number two Matthew Wearn to win selection.

Burton, 25, joins 470 sailors Gold Medalist Mathew Belcher and his crew, Will Ryan, 49er Gold medalists Nathan Outteridge, Iain Jensen, Nacra 17 sailors Jason Waterhouse and crew Lisa Darmanin on the Australian Sailing Team so far selected for in Rio.

Australian Sailing's high performance director Peter Conde said 20-year-old Wearn had taken the result on the chin.

'The Tokyo Games', were his words to me when I spoke to Matt to tell him Tom had been selected,' Conde said.

Burton in Rio training for the August Games said: ‘The last 12 months have been pretty good. Some good results, came third at the World's this year, won the World Cup Final, two victories at the World Cup throughout the year. So been pretty consistent. Each regatta is a new chance to kind of prove your skills and race the same guys and go head-to-head against the best in the world. So it's been a good year and consistent results.

'Sailing's a harsh sport where only one person can go per class.

‘To win the gold – you've got to compete against someone really good; so it kind of keeps you on your toes year round. I kind of had a little bit of a taste for it last Olympics with Tom Slingsby, who ended up winning gold, obviously, and me not going. Had that four years ago and kind of slightly I'm on the different side of it with someone younger chasing me.

‘It would be a dream come true kind of thing. I remember standing on Bradley's Head as a youngster with my family taking me to watch the Sydney Olympics, the sailing mainly, and obviously we won two golds just in the 470. I remember that specifically, being there that day. It's funny now being in a team either coached or with the people involved that were sailing that day. So it would mean a lot to me to compete and have my family come and watch me compete in that.

‘Right now this is my fourth time in Rio. The first time I went there was kind of more recon, a little bit of training, but no regattas and nothing too serious. The next two times were more serious training blocks, and obviously the last time I was there, we had an Olympic test event; so that was the most important event.

‘The real thing is coming up fast but there is still a lot of sailing ahead of August.