Olympic Sailing: Andrew Murdoch ready for big one

There's more than just medals riding on the Olympic Games for Kerikeri laser sailor Andrew Murdoch.

As one of the first athletes selected on the New Zealand Olympic team, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a structured build-up and is hoping that a good performance at Weymouth could propel him on to bigger and better things.

He goes into his second Olympics feeling more confident and better prepared than he did four years ago and is focused on turning his fifth place in China into a medal in the UK.

"I always start well at Weymouth, I do really like the venue and if I can do my job right leading up to the medal race then the rest will take care of itself," he said.

He has no plans for his post-Olympic future but he has a few ideas about what he would like to do and said success at the regatta might help options unfold.

"I definitely want to continue sailing and there's obviously America's Cup sailing to try and break into and I guess that's all about meeting the right people and being in the right place at the right time and obviously doing well at the games could help my cause there," he said.

Until the medal race is over, he can only dream. Another Olympic campaign remains a possibility but even if he does take a shot at a third games, there is no guarantee he'll qualify such is the depth of talent coming up through the ranks.

Kerikeri's Andy Maloney, Sam Meech, Josh Junior and Mike Bullot are the pick of the bunch with the first two heavily involved in Murdoch's campaign.

"Sam and Andy are both sailing very well and have been helping me to get me up to speed before the Olympics ... there's been more of a team focus to training and I've had the same core team in place since I started and I'm pretty happy with the build-up."

Maloney finished third in this year's Laser World Cup series and in seventh place at the Weymouth Sail for Gold regatta, two places ahead of Murdoch.

"He's really kept me on my toes and it's really been a great thing with those guys pushing me hard during this Olympic cycle," Murdoch said.

He will need to be at his best if he wants to beat favourites Paul Goodison or Tom Slingsby.

Goodison, the Beijing gold medallist, lives and trains at the venue and has the home advantage but he'll also have to deal with the pressure associated with the favourite's tag.

World champion Slingsby is also sailing well. The pair's rivalry could just provide enough distractions for another sailor to benefit.

Certainly Murdoch is hoping that he won't have to wait until his third time to be lucky at the Olympics.