Audi Laser World Championship at Boltenhagen, Germany - Overall
by Deike Maria Flemming 10 May 2012 19:40 BST
4-10 May 2012
Tom Slingsby is crowned Laser World Champion © Johannes Berg
Tom Slingsby wins in the thirteenth race
Going into today's races Tom Slingsby (AUS) had a comfortable 20 point lead on Tonči Stipanović (CRO) in second place and 14 to 18 knots of wind were ideal conditions for the defending World Champion. Finishing ten places ahead of Stipanović meant that there was no need for Slingsby to compete in the last race of the series and he was able to get his injured ankle looked after before the prize giving ceremony where he will receive his fifth World Championship title.
Tonči Stipanović was also able to sit out the fourteenth race due to his 24 point lead over Juan Maegli from Guatemala after the first twelve races. Stipanović's silver is his first medal in a world championship. “I'm probably even more happy than Tom”, says the Croatian who will be sailing for his country at the Olympic Games in Weymouth, like Slingsby.
Andrew Maloney (NZL) gave everything in the last two races and with a third and a twelfth place managed to beat Maegli Juan (GUA) to the bronze medal.
New Zealand as a nation fared well, with three out of the top 15 sailors hailing from there, followed by hosting nation Germany and Sweden with two sailors each.
Olympic medalist Paul Goodison (GBR) did not seem able to recover from his three yellow flags and finished in 20th position. He was able to use this world championship to test the waters for the Olympics and try out some different techniques before the Games in Weymouth. Andrew Murdoch who will be representing Australia at the Olympic Games did not have a particularly successful regatta series and finished in 24th place but managed a win in the last race of the gold fleet.
The nations qualified for the last remaining Olympic tickets are the following, subject to ISAF ratification: Portugal, Ireland, Lithuania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Thailand, Czech Republic, Columbia, Venezuela, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico.
“We had the best conditions of the whole week, so it was an appropriate day for the last finals”, says Principal Race Officer Klaus Lahme, “And now I'm looking forward to the prize-giving ceremony.”
Full results can be found here.