RIO GOLD: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR BURLING AND TUKE
The weight of a nation and personal expectation moved from the current World Sailing Sailors of the Year’s shoulders to around their necks as the Gold medal Peter Burling and Blair Tuke had strived towards for the past 8 years was placed over their heads in Rio today.
The path to Olympic Glory began in the 49er in blustery conditions off Auckland Takapuna beach in 2008 with six stitches across Tuke’s brow from a dramatic capsize. A baptism of fire for the highly regarded and promising teenagers, that came together having already achieved multiple world championships between them. Tuke in the Splash class in 2006 and the 29er Worlds in 2009. Burling, twice World Champion aged 15 in the 420, before getting his first taste of Olympic competition as a 17 year old at Beijing in 2008 in the 470.
In the years leading up to London 2012 Burling and Tuke trained hard from young up starts to title contenders, but had to get used to playing second fiddle to their Australian counterparts Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen. Nevertheless, continually learning and improving waiting to make their move to take their place atop the 49er dais.
They left London with a silver medal, not the colour they were content with.
Their move to the head of the 49er class was swift post London. It was 4 years, including 4 world championships, and 27 straight events before they would have an event they didn't taste the sweet flavour of success- a loss in the final warm up regatta before the Rio Olympics, an anomaly in their dominant 4 year reign in the class
Any mention of a crack in their commanding hold in the 49er going into the Rio Olympics were immediately eliminated from the first day of the Olympic regatta, winning the first two races.
Over the subsequent 10 races, Burling & Tuke didn't give a hint of opportunity to the other crews for anything other than fighting among themselves for the silver and bronze medals.
Standing a top the dais in Rio with their gold medals in hand and the New Zealand flag raising to the National Anthem was a justified end to what has been one of the most dominant performances seen in any class in world sailing.
In typical Burling and Tuke fashion, their story does not stop at the Olympics, it only continues from one pinnacle of sailing directly into the other- the America’s Cup, when they rejoin Emirates Team New Zealand to integrate their focus entirely into at team already loaded with experience and talent and full steam ahead towards winning the America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017.
Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper Glenn Ashby: ”A huge congratulations to both Pete and Blair for an extremely well executed Olympic campaign culminating in a gold medal in Rio.
The boys, under the watchful eye of coach Hamish Wilcox, left no stone unturned in their preparation and showed absolute dedication to their ultimate goal."
"Collectively, Emirates Team New Zealand is very proud of the guys and we look forward to having them home and integrating them into our on water testing and development program”
Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton added praise while keeping focus firmly on what lies ahead for Burling and Tuke and the team as a whole, “ As a nation and at Emirates Team New Zealand we are enormously proud of what Peter and Blair have achieved.”
“While they have been focused on the 49er, development has continued at pace on our new turbo AC45.
There is a very strong link between the yachtsmen, lead by Head of Sailing Glenn Ashby, the shore team and the design team.
I have not seen this link as strong before, so when Pete and Blair are ready they will be integrating back into a well oiled machine steaming towards Bermuda next year.”
PHOTO CREDITS: SAILING ENERGY & GETTY IMAGES