Rio Olympics 2016: Gold medallist Nathan Outteridge, Iain Jensen gearing up for trans-Tasman sailing stoush
THE battle for the 49er skiff title in Rio is gearing up to be an epic trans-Tasman stoush with a New Zealand crew pipping Aussie pair Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen in a major regatta in Barcelona.
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THE battle for the 49er skiff title in Rio is gearing up to be an epic trans-Tasman stoush with a New Zealand crew pipping Aussie Olympic champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen in a major regatta in Barcelona.
Skiff stars Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have proved unbeatable since finishing second to their Australian rivals at the London Olympics in the Australian-designed 49er skiff class.
On Sunday the New Zealand pair won their fourth successive European championships with Outteridge and Jensen clinching silver.
“We’ve got the other guys in check but there’s still a gap between us and Pete and Blair and time is starting to wear thin [for the Rio Olympics],’’ Outteridge said.
“I wouldn’t say we are very happy with the end result — when you are off the pace you are leaking spots all the way around the race course, and that was highlighted here.
“We can definitely sail better and go faster, and we are going to need to if we want to win a gold medal.”
While recent results will install Burling and Tuke as favourites, the experienced Outteridge and Jensen know better than anyone how to perform in a big arena with their London gold medal testament to their ability to produce big-event performances.
The pair will also now prioritise defending their gold by relocating to Rio for the final lead up to the Olympics.
“We know where the level is and what we need to achieve. Any moment we get between now and the Olympics we are going to make the most of,” Outteridge said.
Outteridge and Jensen, from Sydney’s central coast, are both with the Artemis Americas Cup team and have until now split their time between the two campaigns.
The 49 skiff team and gold medal winning skipper Mat Belcher and his crew Will Ryan’s are Australia’s top hopes of a medal in Rio.
Dark horses for success are the Nacra 17 team of Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin competing at their first Games.
Originally published as Rio Olympics 2016: Gold medallist Nathan Outteridge, Iain Jensen gearing up for trans-Tasman sailing stoush
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