Sail-World.com : Bronze for Bryony Shaw at Europeans
|
Bronze for Bryony Shaw at Europeans |
Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw kept a cool head in the Israeli heat to take bronze at the RS:X European Championships in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Although she had a solid start to the week-long regatta, the 26-year-old was left with some work to do to secure a podium spot after a ‘bad day’ on Thursday – the windiest day of the event – saw her dip outside of the top three positions.
But the Tunbridge Wells resident showed trademark resilience to pull herself back into contention in the penultimate two fleet races, with a seventh in Saturday’s medal race enough to clinch her the bronze, behind Marina Alabau and Blanca Manchon who took gold and silver for Spain.
'I’m really pleased, even though I didn’t race very well in the medal race today,' Shaw admitted. 'My muscles tightened and I let the Italian girl go on the second upwind leg, but I managed to come out of it alright!'
Skandia Team GBR’s Shaw, who was chasing a medal at these Championships in preparation for a World Championship title bid on home waters in Weymouth in September, described the event as both a ‘learner and a counter’ towards her goals for this first year of the new Olympic cycle.
'For me I’m happy that it’s job done here, but also has shown that I have a lot still to work on in preparation for the Worlds. It’s been a lot hotter, a lot wavier and just different conditions to what we will be focussing on for Weymouth.
'It’s also been a lot more of a physical event that at the Olympic Games,' Shaw continued. 'We’ve had just enough wind to get racing every day, so had none of the waiting around and delays that we had at the Games, plus the heat was pretty severe. It’s certainly highlighted the need for to improve my fitness, but I’m really happy to be making the progress I am so far in this first year after the Games.'
Elsewhere in the women’s fleet, youth sailors Izzy Hamilton and Sophie Bailey finished 23rd and 25th respectively, with Kirsten O’Callaghan in 29th.
In the men’s fleet, Skandia Team GBR development squad duo Elliot Carney and Richard Hamilton finished 30th and 33rd, with youth sailor Ali Masters – making his international debut on the 9.5 sq m men’s rig, finishing in a respectable 31st.
Masters will revert to the smaller 8.5 sq m youth rig when he competes for RYA Volvo Team GBR at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Buzios, Brazil, next month.
Women RS:X European Championships - Final leading positions
1 ESP5 Alabau 35.0 pts
2 ESP1 Manchon 45.0
3 GBR94 Shaw 57.0
4 POL20 Brygola 59.0
5 ITA11 Linares 61.0
6 ITA46 Tartaglini 63.0
7 ISR10 Davidovich 65.0
8 BUL14 Konstantinova Bontemps 77.0
9 FRA81 Perrin 81.0
10 POL21 Bialecka 90.0
Men RS:X European Championships - Final leading positions
1 ISR11 Zubari 37.0 pts
2 FRA6 Bontemps 54.0
3 FRA112 Launay 63.0
4 ESP7 Pastor 68.0
5 POR75 Rodrigues 73.0
6 GRE8 Kokkalanis 78.0
7 FRA7 Guyader 90.0
8 FRA8 Huguet 98.0
9 ITA110 Heidegger 100.0
10 ISR21 Mashiah 115.0
Event website - http://www.rsxclass.com
by RYA
2:39 PM Sat 20 Jun 2009 GMT
Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.
If you want to send this story to a friend, please use link below
http://www.sail-world.com/USA/Bronze-for-Bryony-Shaw-at-Europeans/58076
Click for further information on
Related News Stories:
MORE STORIES ...
|
| |
