Australia wins yachting gold and silver
Tom Burton celebrates winning gold in the men's laser class. Photo: Getty/ Clive Mason
Tom Burton has won gold in the men’s laser dingy sailing after an unbelievable final race, and Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin have claimed silver in the Nacra 17 mixed race.
Silver sailors! Great work by cousins Lisa Darmanin and Jason Waterhouse.@AUSOlympicTeam pic.twitter.com/embSSjmtgX
— Nathan Templeton (@nathantemp7) August 16, 2016
Burton went into the last day in second, needing to finish five places ahead of Croatian Tonci Stipanovic to claim gold.
The Sydneysider came out on top in a tactical start, avoiding Stipanovic’s attempts to push him back. He then climbed from the bottom of the pack to put the required distance between them – and continued to finish third.
GOLD FOR TOM BURTON!!! #OneTeam #GoAusSailors #AUS #Sailing pic.twitter.com/FZ3Ylfjo3M
— AusSailingTeam (@AusSailingTeam) August 16, 2016
That was enough to give him the win.
Croatia took silver – the country’s first ever sailing medal.
New Zealand’s Sam Meech won bronze.
GOLD for Tom Burton.. Needed to do everything right to win that. Some #Olympics debut. Come on sailors remember London! (Please) #AUS
— Melanie McLaughlin (@Mel_Mclaughlin) August 16, 2016
Rio is Burton’s first Olympics. Four years ago he missed out on selection to his training partner, Tom Slingsby, who went on to claim gold at Weymouth.
Tom Burton celebrates his gold with silver medalist Tonci Stipanovic at the Marina da Gloria. Photo: Clive Mason/Getty
Burton finished second at the World Championships in 2014 and went on to win two World Cups in 2015 in Hyeres and Abu Dhabi.
He took up sailing at age nine after following his father to regattas, but his Olympic dream was sparked by a school trip to Sydney Olympic Park during the 2000 games.
The wins push Australia up to ninth in the medal tally.
Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin celebrate winning sliver. Photo: Getty/Clive Mason
Australian Ashley Stoddart placed ninth overall in the women’s laser radial.
But there was more to come on the water when Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin came silver in the new event, the Nacra 17 mixed race.
