Sailing
Peacock upbeat on Olympic chances

Buy photos » Perth, WA - December 16: John Pink, Rich Peacock, 49er December 16, 2011 off Fremantle, Australia. (Photo by Richard Langdon) 
Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, 3rd-18th December 2011.
 Perth 2011 image.

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REDDITCH'S Rick Peacock is adamant his Olympic bid was strengthened at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Australia, despite a somewhat surprise failure to win a medal.

Peacock and partner John Pink were one of four British 49er crews in Fremantle, Perth, all bidding to impress selectors and earn the right to sail the sole London 2012 boat.

And it was they who emerged as frontrunners to not only do that but also walk away with a medal as they led the regatta after eight races, then nine and then 12.

However, the wheels came off on the final two days as Peacock and Pink first dropped from first to third and then from third to fourth following a ninth placed finish in Sunday's top-ten medal race.

They believe Olympic selection will now go on with only a medal guaranteeing their place, but Peacock refuted claims their bid is no better off than when they started down under.

"Arguably it does put us in a better position because we were leading the regatta for that many days and that will look good in the selectors' eyes," said Skandia Team GBR sailor Peacock.

"It would have been amazing to get a medal and how we sailed in the week gave us a great chance to do that, but in the end we didn't do it.

"It was a big disappointment not to follow through with a medal but we have got the potential, it is just that final bit which we didn't do, but we will at the next event.

"You have your good days and your bad days and the day before the medal race was a bad day and we went out for the medal race with no ill-effects of it but it wasn't a good race.

"All the selectors want is medals and I think we have proven that we will be there or thereabouts, we have just got to get that final little push right and we can challenge."

Peacock and Pink were the top Brits in Fremantle with Dave Evans and Ed Powys sixth, Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign 17th and Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes pulling out injured.

All barring Morrison and Rhodes will return down under in the New Year and Peacock knows exactly what he will be working on as he bids to make it second time lucky.

"I think we have made massive leaps in the last three months and we have got a few lessons to learn that we can take forward to our next event," he added.

"I think getting off the start line was a struggle of ours the day before the medal race and that made racing difficult for us, so that is something to work on."

Investment specialist Skandia is the principal sponsor of the British sailing team. For more information go to www.skandiateamgbr.com.

Rick Peacock and John Pink believe they impressed sufficiently in Western Australia. (s)