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He left it late, but Tom Saunders is firmly back in the frame for Olympic selection after finishing fifth at the ILCA 7 world championships in Adelaide.
The 31-year-old former world champion secured the result with a sixth place in the double-points medal race on Wednesday for his third consecutive top-five placing at the event.
Saunders ended the regatta, the second of two Olympic selection trials, eight points ahead of Cypriot Pavlos Kontides (sixth) but couldn’t overhaul Britain's Michael Beckett for the bronze medal.
Australian Olympic champion Matt Wearn won gold, with Norway's Hermann Tomasgaard taking out silver.
Tom Saunders finished fifth at the 2024 ILCA 7 world championships. Photos / Down Under Sail
Saunders' teammate and training partner George Gautrey, whom he has been vying against for the sole spot at the Olympics in July and August, finished 15th overall after suffering an early penalty and a black flag in his penultimate race.
Saunders' third place in the final gold fleet race on Tuesday was a turning point, he said.
"For most of the week, I felt like I was working for every point, like I was struggling to convert races while the top three [Wearn, Tomasgaard and Beckett] made it look effortless and all deserve to have a world title.
"But I kept fighting and really dug deep in that last race yesterday. That was a big moment and the emotion with my coach Mike [Bullot] there was awesome. He’s been with me every step of the way. Along with Dan [Slater], they have been a critical part of my campaign."
Tom Saunders and coach Mike Bullot (left) in Adelaide. Photos / Down Under Sail
Should Saunders gain selection for the Games, it would complete an impressive comeback after results in 2023 fell short of his lofty standards.
Saunders failed to make an international podium last year, with fifth at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Spain in April his best result.
His 11th at the combined world championships in The Hague in August, where Gautrey won bronze to secure a country spot for New Zealand at the Games was a low point, Saunders admits.
"I had rarely felt so disconnected from the sport as I did that day. I felt defeated," Saunders said. "But something told me to pick myself up. It's not how you fall, but always how you get back up."
He showed signs of his best by finishing second only to Wearn at the Australian national championships a fortnight before the world championships.
"The support I've received from Mike, Dan, friends, family and the Yachting New Zealand team has been unbelievable, so I was grateful for this moment," Saunders said.
"Naturally, I'm disappointed to miss out on a medal but I'm proud to have put together a solid week and I am looking forward to the rest of the year."
Final results and standings at the 2024 ILCA 7 world championships in Adelaide.
1. Matt Wearn (Aus) 6 1 2 2 1 3 (11) 1 2 4 2 - 24 points
2. Hermann Tomasgaard (Nor) 1 1 1 5 5 7 1 6 3 (21) 4 - 34 pts
3. Michael Beckett (GBR) (17) 6 1 3 1 1 3 2 12 2 10 - 41 pts
5. Tom Saunders (NZ) 4 11 9 4 2 4 9 13 (19) 3 12 - 71 pts
15. George Gautrey (NZ) 3 19 3 18 6 5 14 11 (52BFD) 20 - 99 pts
106. Luke Cashmore (NZ) 31 34 44 (52BFD) 9 33 6 7 4 5 - 173 pts
109. Luke Deegan (NZ) 33 22 (42) 27 37 32 10 3 12 12 230 - 188 pts
110. Caleb Armit (NZ) 32 29 23 (41) 41 33 16 11 9 7 - 201 pts
114. Dylan Forsyth (NZ) 36 37 40 38 17 (43) 12 21 16 17 - 234 pts
128. George Pilkington (NZ) 25 46 44 35 24 46 26 28 (51BFD) 33 - 307 pts
Full results from the 2024 ILCA 7 world championships here.
