Morrison and Rhodes lead the way in Holland

 

BRITAIN'S sailors ended the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik in Holland with three medals, with Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes (pictured) picking up the sole gold on a breezy final day yesterday.

 

The Beijing-bound duo held on to their overnight lead in the 49er skiff class amid 22 knot winds and choppy waters to add a second Dutch title to the one they claimed back in 2005 – their first ever Grade 1 regatta victory.

 

With strong winds and the gold theirs to lose on Sunday’s final day, the Skandia Team GBR pair played a conservative game, opting not to hoist their huge spinnaker at all during the medal race as they watched many of their rivals capsize around them when they attempted to. 

 

They finished the medal race in third place, which handed them the regatta win by 13 points over Spaniard Federico and Arturo Alonso, while teammates Dave Evans and Simon Hiscocks won the final race to finish their regatta in seventh place.

 

Morrison said: “Five boats capsized at the first mark, and then another two boats went in on the first run so by the time we’d reached the leeward mark only three boats had managed to stay upright. 

 

“We knew we needed to finish no worse than fifth if we were to win, so with all that going on around us it seemed to be the sensible option! 

 

“It was a question of brains over valour – it didn’t look too cool, but was the right thing to do in the grand scheme of things.”

 

For the Exmouth pair, crowned World Champions in 2007, their victory was the chance to put behind them recent regatta disappointments where their results suffered following equipment failure.

 

Rhodes said: “We feel we’ve actually been sailing pretty well all year, but our results haven’t shown that.

 

"This event has always been a bit of a focus event for us this year – it fits in pretty well with our programme so it’s good that we’ve managed to get a result here.”

 

Ed Wright also picked up bronze for Britain in the Finn class to add to the bronze won by Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson in the Yngling event on Saturday.

 

In the closely-fought Finn medal race, Wright was up against Slovenian Gasper Vincec and Spaniard Rafael Trujillo for gold in the heavyweight dinghy class. 

 

In second place heading into the 10-boat double points scoring final, Wright gained the advantage, getting himself ahead of his rivals and into the gold medal position before agonisingly capsizing in the strong winds and choppy waters just 200 metres from the finish line.

 

Wright said: “Unforgiveable. 

 

"First I kept getting the boom caught on my lifejacket, then Dan Slater tried to take me out on the second run, and then I capsized." 

 

Ayton, Webb and Wilson were in fourth place heading into the final day of racing for the women’s keelboat event, and after three further fleet races to determine the 10 finalists, they started the Saturday night’s medal race in the bronze medal position, with Ulrike Schueman’s German crew and the Dutch trio helmed by Renee Groeneveld ahead of them.

 

After a short postponement waiting for conditions to settle, the medal race fleet got underway, but the British ‘Team Mirabaud’ were left fighting back after having to recross the startline following a premature start. 

 

But they pulled back through the pack to finish the race in seventh place – enough to secure them the bronze medal and their fifth podium finish out of six major events this year.

 

Gold went to the Dutch crew of Renee Groeneveld, Brechtje vd Werf and Marije Kampen, with Ulrike Schuemann, Julia Bleck and Ute Hoepfner claiming silver for Germany.

 

Ayton said: “We’ve achieved all our goals here, so it’s been a good week.

 

"We haven’t got our best boat here with us, so to come back in the medal race and achieve a third with our third best kit is pretty encouraging.

 

“I think the fact we were able to do that just highlights the strength of us as a team, and that’s what it’s going to be all about in China.”

 

Sink or swim for Harland

 

A PLACE at the Beijing Olympics is on the line for Athens bronze medallist Georgina Harland as she competes in the Modern Pentathlon World Championships this week.

It is the last qualification opportunity for the 30-year-old who must finish in the top three in Budapest and beat her three team mates, who are also battling for their places.

She said:  “Budapest is make or break for me.

 

"I would not say I’m feeling the pressure but I know what this all means.

 

"I have done everything I can do to get in the best possible form.

“I know I can do it, I have the experience behind me and I have shown I can perform under pressure time and again. I will be giving it everything out there to make a top three finish and I know I will have nothing left when I cross the finish line.”

 

If Harland did qualify it would complete a remarkable comeback. Last summer she missed three months of training with post-viral fatigue, a condition which threatened to prematurely end her career.

After a slow return to fitness during the winter, Harland has gradually found some form, finishing 10th, seventh and then sixth in her last three World Cup appearances.

 

She said: “I have improved every time, my scores have got better as I have gone through the season.

 

"Obviously I have not been on the podium yet but I have been close.

 

The places may not sound that close but in terms of points there has not been much in it.”

The competition starts with the semi-final on Thursday, from which Harland will be hoping to qualify for Saturday’s final.

Her biggest challenge could be to finish ahead of the other British entrants. Mhairi Spence has finished just ahead of her in the last two events, while both Heather Fell and Katy Livingstone have already qualified for Beijing.

 

Yamauchi wants to skip Team GB training camp and prepare in Tokyo

 

MARA YAMAUCHI, Britain's best bet for an Olympic marathon medal in Beijing if, as looks likely, Paula Radcliffe is forced to pull out because of injury, has revealed she has requested UK Athletics if instead of going to the British Olympic Association's (BOA) preparation camp in Macau, she could train at her home in Tokyo.

 

The 34-year-old winner of this year's Osaka Marathon believes there is little difference between the two cities, although she would lack some backup facilities from being an absentede at the BOA preparation camp.
                                                            
The former Foreign & Commonwealth Office diplomat who switched to becoming a full-time athlete two years ago, live with her Japanese husband Shige in the capital.
 
Yamauchi said: "I am hoping to go to Tokyo, but I may have to go to Macau.

 

"I hope I am allowed to do that because I have everything I need at home. The climate is the same as Beijing."

 

Yamauchi who is three-and-half hours flying time from Beijing did admit: "I would be away from the whole support network which would be in Macau.

 

"I would have to come to some agreement with UKA and the BOA.

 

"I have spoken to UKA but we have not had a chance to discuss it in detail yet, but I am hoping to do that next week."

 

Cash boost for Olympic swimmer

 

BEIJING-BOUND Cassie Patten has received a boost to her ambitions of picking up an Olympic medal thanks to a sponsorship deal by Babcock Sports and Social Club.

Patten will make history this summer by becoming the first British swimmer to compete in both the pool and open water events at this year's Olympics.

The 21-year-old has qualified for the women's 800 metres in the pool and also the 10km open water contest.

 

Patten recently picked up a silver medal FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville to add the one of the same colour she won at last year's World Championships.

Nigel Rowe of Babcock Sports and Social, said: "We have introduced an individual sponsorship bursary, to go alongside what we put into grass roots organisations and clubs.

 

"We have helped Cassie in the past and are happy to again.

 

"She is a very talented athlete and her father works for Babcock.

"In exchange Cassie, when available, will go into local schools and act as an ambassador.

"She can show young people what can be achieved.

"Although she is doing most of her training in the Manchester area, she is still a local girl and what she has achieved is fantastic - taking silver at the World Championships and becoming the first Britain to qualify for Olympic pool and open water events." 

 

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