Silver yet to sink in for Kiwi 49ers

Published: 5:39AM Tuesday August 07, 2012 Source: AAP

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New Zealand 49er sailor Peter Burling, who with Blair Tuke is all but assured of an Olympic silver medal, says the achievement probably won't really sink in until he is standing on the podium.

Burling, 21, and Tuke, 23, finished sixth in both of the last two preliminary fleet races at the regatta venue of Weymouth on the English south coast to lock up second place on the points table.

However, they also cannot overtake Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen for top spot.

Outteridge and Jensen, the three-time world champions, had a win and third to build a big enough margin over Burling and Tuke.

That means both crews have only to cross the start line of Wednesday's double-point medal race to secure the top two medals.

"We had a good day on the water but unfortunately couldn't gain the Australian boys," Burling said.

But he and Tuke had managed to set themselves up for silver, "which we're really happy with".

"Now all we need to do is go out and make it to the start of the medal race," he said.

"I'm sure by the time we end up on the podium, the whole thing will start sinking in a bit more."

Burling said it was "really cool" to see the amount of New Zealand support at Weymouth, something he hadn't come across before.

Yachting New Zealand Olympic director Jez Fanstone said Burling and Tuke's feat was testament to the work they had put in over the past two-and-a-half years.

"There's still a few little things that they would like to do, and we'll work on those in the next months and years to come," he said.

"But it's a fantastic result and well deserved."

• Related

  • Olympic Challenge: Peter Burling v Blair Tuke (5:11)

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