New Zealand's Blair Tuke and Peter Burling were pipped to Olympic gold after a thrilling finish in the 49er medal race. Photos / Getty Images, Sky Sport
New Zealand's Blair Tuke and Peter Burling were pipped to Olympic gold after a thrilling finish in the 49er medal race. Photos / Getty Images, Sky Sport
Kiwi sailing superstars Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have dipped out on a second Olympic gold medal, after a thrilling final race in Tokyo.
Great Britain triumphed in the final double-points medal race to claim gold, overtaking the Kiwi favourites who had a narrow lead going into the final.
The Kiwi pair went into the 49er final with a narrow lead but Germany spoiled their party, claiming second and shutting the Kiwis out of the top podium position.
Burling and Tuke were left holding silver, the same medal they won in London nine years ago, having won gold in Rio.
Blair Tuke (L) and Peter Burling on their 49er boat. Photo / AP
Burling and Tuke, described as the rock stars of the sailing world, were disappointed in a year in which they had defended the America's Cup in Auckland and had been hot favourites to win gold.
"Our campaign was very much about trying to come back here and win a gold medal; and to come so close makes it just all the more mixed emotions," Burling said post race.
"But I think Blair summed it up pretty well. To win an Olympic medal for your country's a pretty special moment and to do it with one of your good mates in Hamish [Wilcox] as well who's been a part of this team for such a long time is incredibly special, so we're really stoked."
Great Britain's Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell, meanwhile, were former rivals who got together for a Tokyo campaign in 2017 and had never beaten Burling and Tuke in a regatta before today.
It was a race within a race for Burling and Tuke, who had to make sure that they were right behind Great Britain and that no other boat got between them.
Germany became the key player, mixing it with the Brits and Kiwis at the head of the fleet.
The Kiwis had led a move to the right, while Great Britain headed left after a tumultuous start in which Croatia and the Netherlands had to re-start and Portugal was disqualified after continuing to race, having been found over the start line at the gun.
After the chaotic start, it immediately became clear that this would be a three-horse race with Great Britain and Germany battling for the lead and New Zealand fighting to stay in touch; and hoping for a mistake to be made.
"It's been close all week but the British guys got themselves off to a good start and we clawed back into a good position at the top mark and were pushing hard," Tuke said of the race.
"The German guys did quite a good move at the bottom of the first downwind and they got themselves right into the mix between us and the British. It was the worst scenario for us and that's how it eventuated."
In the end, no mistake came and Great Britain pipped Germany at the finish line with the New Zealand boat crossing 13 seconds behind in third.
"Tough, tough, tough, but still very proud of what we've put together this week," Tuke said.
"To have it be so close like that was pretty tough but at the same time I think, for us, we've always said that to win an Olympic medal is very special and to have won another one for Aotearoa is something that we'll definitely cherish and are very proud of."
Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox. Photo / Photosport
Meanwhile the men's 470 pairing of Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox have given themselves the opportunity to win a silver or bronze medal in tomorrow's medal race after two strong finishes today.
One of the most consistent crews in the regatta so far, the Kiwis continued their trend of top-10 finishes by adding a sixth and third place to their belt.
Those two results left them on 51 points, fourth on the overall ladder, far behind Australia's Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan but in touching distance of the Swedish and Spanish pairings.
Just 13 points now separate the second and fifth place boats.
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In the first race of the day, the pair rounded the first mark in sixth place, 28 seconds behind the leading Korean boat and in the mix to contest the top three places.
However, a slow second leg put the team 50 seconds behind the leaders and destined to fight it out with a haggle of boats fighting for the fourth to eighth placings.
Over the final three legs Snow-Hansen and Willcox managed to claw up into sixth position to record yet another consistent, but ultimately unspectacular result that reflected their overall performance in the event to this stage.
The surprising winner of race nine was the Korean boat while Australia and Sweden - two of New Zealand's medal-rivals - rounded out the top three.
The second race of the day was a much-improved effort from the Kiwis who stayed within touching distance of the leading Swedish boat throughout the six legs.
After rounding the first leg in fifth place, Snow-Hansen and Willcox pulled back two positions on the following stage of the course and maintained that position to the end.
Crucially, two of New Zealand's main rivals for medals - Spain and Great Britain - finished further back in the field in seventh and 10th place respectively.
That left the regatta poised for a thrilling finish tomorrow in the waters off Fujisawa.
Josh Junior failed to fire a shot in the men's Finn medal race. Photo / AP
Finally, in the Finn class, Josh Junior came 10th in the medal race which saw him finish his campaign fifth overall.
Junior, who went into the medal race in contention for the minor placings, didn't get off to the the best start but sailed a great second leg to move into third for the race - briefly occupying the bronze medal spot on the overall table.
However, he was rolled late in the race, being unable to hold onto his position around the third marker and losing his claims to a medal.
