Thompson claims Laser Worlds silver 

Thompson takes silver on a dramatic last day at Hayling Island

Great Britain’s Nick Thompson secured silver on a tense final day at the Laser World Championships at Hayling Island on Sunday (5 September).  

With Australia’s two-time World Champion Tom Slingsby commanding  a 32 point lead heading into the final two races, Thompson’s focus was on protecting his overall second place in the hope of claiming a second straight World Championship podium finish.The 24-year-old, who won bronze at the 2009 event, saw a solid start to the final day finishing the penultimate race in seventh place to Slingsby’s eighth and keep silver within his sights.  

Defending World and Olympic Champion Paul Goodison, whose own world title hopes had faded on Saturday after a second race disqualification, hit back with a race win to open the day, but it was in the final race where the drama really unfolded. Thompson’s silver was not guaranteed, with Cypriot sailor Pavlos Kontides a threat to his second step on the podium. 

Thompson was quick out of the blocks – but not for long. “In the second race I had to pretty much stay next to Pavlos to guarantee my silver medal,” he explains.  

“I had a great start, managed to roll Pavlos and put him back in the fleet, then tacked and I was looking good, tried to duck a boat and actually capsized so that made it tough again.

“I had to fight back and get near Pavlos again and fortunately I managed to do that.”   Thompson pulled back to 26th in the race – which he could discard as his worst result – and a bad race resulting in a 33rd for Kontides ended his medal hopes and handed Thompson the silver. Slingsby himself had a heart-in-mouth moment on the final downwind leg when he also capsized in the 23 knot conditions, but recovered to 14th to claim his third World Championship win.  The Olympic Champion Goodison finished ninth overall.

“I’m really pleased.  We’ve had an absolutely cracking event,” said Thompson.  

“I don’t think we’ve done many events where we’ve got  all the racing in and pretty much on time so it’s been really good from that point of view and it’s been a good challenge as well.

“We’ve pretty much had every condition thrown at us so I’m really, really pleased to have come away with a silver.”

The Lymington sailor is hoping that his two straight years of World Championship success will keep him the minds of the 2012 selectors, but knows that he’ll face stiff competition from Goodison for the single Laser spot for GBR at the London 2012 Games.  

“I think both Paul and I have proven that we’re capable of medalling, so this evens things up a little bit more between us I guess, but Paul’s a very, very, very good competitor.   

“I feel a bit bad for him this week – he really sailed well and just fell on the wrong side of some bad luck.” Thompson wasn’t the only Skandia Team GBR sailor who collected silverware on Sunday. 

At the first ever Laser Standard Junior World Championships, run concurrently for under 21-year-olds, Newhaven and Seaford sailor Alex Mills-Barton added World Junior Championship bronze to the silver he earned in the under 21 event at the European Championship in June.

“It feels great!  It was my aim to have a top five and anything above that was kind of a bonus really so I’m really happy to have made it to the podium,” said the19-year-old Mills-Barton.

“About 90% of the training I have done at Hayling has been in the breeze. I struggled a little bit at the beginning of the week when it was a bit lighter but managed to find my consistency as the week went on.

“I’ve got another year I can compete at this level so hopefully I can come back and win it next year.”

BBC highlights of the Laser Worlds, originally aired on Sunday 5 September, are available to view up until 12 September on BBC iPlayer