New Zealand's Sara Winther in action on the fourth day of the Laser Radial World Championships. Photo / Richard Robinson
Jo Aleh's coach is warning not to write off the young Kiwi sailor's Olympic medal hopes after she took a dramatic slide out of the top 10 following a horror fifth day at the Laser Radial World Championships off Takapuna.
Aleh, a pre-regatta favourite, is now out of
contention for a podium finish heading in to today's final day after recording a 28th, 17th and 51st placing respectively in her three races on day five.
It was a heartbreaking day for Aleh, who was lying in fifth place and in the hunt for a medal at the beginning of the penultimate day.
Aleh is now in 14th place and 63 points adrift of the overall leader Lijia Xu of China. Belgium's Evi van Acker is second and Sarah Stayaert of France is third.
Aleh's coach Peter Fox said while his young charge's performances are disappointing, the Olympics is the big focus this year, and everything else is just training.
"She's had a bit of a setback here, but in the big scheme of things there's no real harm," he said.
"Everything we've been doing for the last year or so has been focused on those two weeks in Qingdao. It's better that it happens now than in August, that's for sure."
Fox said the pattern suggests that the combination of light to moderate winds and choppy seas, like those experienced on day five, simply do not favour Aleh.
Although concerned, Fox said the good news is the conditions at the Olympic venue in Qingdao are vastly different.
"It's so light and there's a lot of current on the course it's nothing like what we've got out here."
Fox said Aleh will spend lots of time in China getting comfortable with the conditions leading up to the Games.
With two races scheduled for the final day of the regatta today, Aleh will have the chance to claw her way back in to the top 10.
Should both races be completed, there will be another drop from the overall points tally with sailors able to discard their two worst performances.
