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Australian Tom Slingsby celebrates his gold medal - Source: Reuters
Australian Tom Slingsby on his way to Laser gold - Source: Reuters
Aussie salior Tom Slingsby won Olympic gold on the breezy waters
off Weymouth as the winds of hope began to blow through the
Australian camp in London.
The five-time world champion's victory in the Laser class ended a
nine-day gold medal drought for Australia since the women's 4x100m
freestyle relay team won on the first night of Olympic
competition
It's Australia's second gold medal at the London Games and the first to be won by an individual Australian athlete.
Slingsby's medal lifted Australia from 21st to 16th on the medal
tally and close to catching New Zealand who remain two spots higher
at 14 with three gold medals.
The sight of the Kiwi contingent - less than half the size of
Australia's 400-strong team - ahead on the medal table had earlier
provoked an official Australian response.
"We don't want to suffer jokes for the next three years and 50
weeks until (the 2016 Olympics in) Rio," said Australian deputy
chef de mission Kitty Chiller.
"So hopefully we can overcome them. They've had a fantastic
start."
New Zealand's Andrew Murdoch was fifth overall heading into the
race and finished today's race in fourth to consolidate his overall
position.
Kontides took the silver and Sweden's Rasmus Mygren took
bronze.
While Slingsby's gold medal will lift the spirits of an Australian
team being criticised as underperforming at these London Games, it
also marks the end of a four-year personal battle for
redemption.
Slingsby went to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the red-hot favourite
and was devastated when he finished 22nd.
"Words just can't describe how I feel right now," said Slingsby
after crossing the finish line off Weymouth on Monday.
"It's been a long road and I've been through the highs and lows of
the sport but nothing beats this.
"Every Olympics is a dream - it's the pinnacle of sport.
"Right now I'm the happiest guy on the planet I can guarantee
it."
His efforts would have added to relief for the Australian Olympic
team management in London as the team's fortunes began to
turn.
At the athletics track gold medal favourite Sally Pearson scorched
over the hurdles, clocking the fastest-ever Olympic first-round
time, almost half a second quicker than anyone else in her
heat.
Minutes later Boomers star Patty Mills nailed a buzzer-beating
three-pointer to give Australia a stunning 82-80 upset win over
Russia in the men's basketball tournament.
Bidding for a third career gold medal, Michael Diamond produced
another perfect round of shooting, hitting all 25 targets to stay
on top of the men's trap leader board with a faultless 100
points.
Also at Weymouth in southern England, Nathan Outteridge and Iain
Jensen had the chance to secure gold in the 49er skiffs, as did 470
class sailors Malcolm Page and Mat Belcher.
All of this came after a night when Australia's women's water polo
team showed what their coach called "more heart than Phar Lap" to
sink China in a penalty shoot-out and make the Olympic
semi-finals.
For good measure Steve Solomon became Australia's first 400m track
finalist since Darren Clark at Seoul in 1988.