Thanks mate! How a champion inspired sailing medal fightback

It was 1 of the worst starts to a regatta helium has ever had but erstwhile it happened astatine the Olympics Grae Morris had a antheral by his broadside who knew precisely however to crook it astir – teammate and Olympic champion Matt Wearn.

Wearn, who started his Olympic defence connected Thursday, won golden astatine the Tokyo Games aft a shocking 17th and 25th successful his opening 2 races – results helium has tattooed connected his limb arsenic a reminder of his fightback for triumph successful the single-handed Laser class.

Now the communicative of his betterment – which included Wearn stringing unneurotic six apical 4 finishes and winning golden with a contention successful manus – volition assistance present Australia its archetypal medal astatine the 2024 Games.

“Wearny inspired maine aft the archetypal contention by telling maine his Olympic communicative (from Tokyo),’’ Morris revealed aft a 13th and 25th enactment him connected the backmost ft astatine the commencement of his iQFOiL windsurfing campaign.

“So I had him successful my head. Thanks mate.’’

Morris is simply a erstwhile schoolboy rugby subordinate whose laid-back quality has worked successful his favour successful the tense vessel parkland successful Marseille.

“I conscionable portion successful connected myself,’’ Morris said. “Just dainty it similar it’s a mean regatta and effort not to freak. It seems to beryllium working.’’

Morris posted a 4th successful his archetypal contention connected Thursday followed by a seventh and eighth to clasp his grip connected the important No. 1 spot which has earned him an automatic spot successful the 3 committee race-off for medals connected Friday taxable to protest.

Wearn, one of the astir watched men astatine the Olympics owed to his reddish blistery signifier since winning successful Tokyo, recovered from a dilatory commencement to his Olympic opener to decorativeness 12th earlier adding a 2nd to his scorecard to beryllium placed 2nd wide down Peruvian Stefanpo Peschiera.

It was a beardown commencement for Wearn who was Australia’s lone sailor ranked successful the apical 3 successful the satellite heading into the Games and sailing’s starring golden medal hope.

“Good day,’’ Wearn said arsenic helium rushed done the media zone.

Zoe Thomson kicked disconnected her archetypal Olympic run with a 12th successful the ILCA 6 fleet.

Thomson is considered a medal accidental aft immoderate beardown lead-in performances successful the single-handed women's class.

The 49er skiff and 49erFX medal races – the second involving Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine – volition beryllium raced connected Friday aft airy winds forced their postponement.

Originally published arsenic Paris 2024 Olympics: Matt Wearn starts Olympic defence, Grae Morris going for gold