Young guns Grummett and Budden scoop 49er Junior Worlds silver
by Will Carson 8 Jul 2019 03:26 PDT
British Sailing Team young guns James Grummett and Dan Budden win silver at the 49er Junior World Championships © Martina Orsini
British Sailing Team young guns James Grummett and Dan Budden have confirmed themselves as ones to watch as they finished runners up at the 49er Junior World Championships.
The duo, both 20, won silver medals for Great Britain after an impressive show of consistency at the week-long event in Risor, Norway.
Grummett and Budden only finished outside the top five on a handful of occasions over the 15-race series, racking up five podium finishes including three wins along the way.
They were held off the top spot by Kiwi pair Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie, while Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove came third.
"We've worked hard over all our years sailing together and to know that that's all paid off and to come away with a silver medal is the best feeling," said Grummett, from Clitheroe, Lancs.
"After around seven years of sailing together it means an incredible amount to us. Standing on the podium with one of your closest mates and sharing that feeling with them knowing that all the hard work was worth it is something I don't think I'll ever get over.
"It doesn't quite feel real at the moment but I'm sure it will hit me over the next few days. Knowing we have the ability to win medals is a great motivator and I'm keen to see what the future will bring."
Budden, from Sandbach, Cheshire, added: "It feels absolutely incredible, I'm totally speechless. We both knew we had the potential to be on the podium but to actually go out there and get it done is amazing.
"We performed well at Kiel Week last month and knew we had it in our locker, so we just kept a cool head, didn't think too much about results and focused on doing the right thing each race. The rest just fell into place.
"For James and me this is just another step closer to the end goal of Olympic success. As long as we both keep improving and having fun along the way, we're happy!"
Grummett and Budden are part of the British Sailing Team's development squad, having previously won the 29er National Championships together. They also claimed a silver medal at the 2018 49er Junior European Championships.
Fellow Brits Nick Robins and Billy Vennis-Ozanne came home 10th, one place in front of compatriots Rory Hunter and Rhos Hawes.
In the 49erFX, Hannah Bristow and Emily Covell were the top-ranked Brits in 19th.
Full results at 49er.org/event/2019-junior-world-championship