Issue date
This update from silver medal sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke…
(Pictured: Peter and Blair are interviewed by media at Auckland Airport)
Home sweet home.
This last week has been super cool... We’re so very proud to have won an Olympic medal for NZ.
It was extra special having our silver medal presented by Kiwi board sailing legend Barbara Kendall at the medal ceremony.
Our silver medal is Kerikeri's first ever Olympic medal, New Zealand's 100th, and the first NZ sailing medal not by a board sailor for 20 years.
We have been very humbled by all the messages, emails and texts.
It was really exciting getting to London from Weymouth (4 hour road trip) to experience the last couple of days of the Olympics and the athletes Village – we managed to support the team at the mountain biking and also see the 4x100m men’s relay World record.
Kiwi House was alive with supporters - partying, photos and signing autographs.
Being part of the closing ceremony was the perfect finish to an amazing two weeks of the London Olympics.
The flight home was fun having all the other athletes on the plane and the Airport welcome was something else. We were expected a few supporters but not the arrivals lounge to be packed ... cheering, haka, cameras, TV, interviews etc.
Next it was off to Kerikeri where we were blown away by Blair’s home town reception, so many people so genuinely excited for us, “the biggest crowd from the smallest town”.
We’re both looking forward to Pete’s home town welcome in Tauranga on Wednesday.
We have really enjoyed the last four years journey culminating in standing on the Olympic podium. Debriefs and planning will be done once the excitement dies down a little - we look forward to attacking the next challenges with the same style and vigour.
An amazing group of people have helped us along the way – it has been a real team effort, not just us on the boat, but support from family, friends, supporters, YNZ, coach Jez Fanstone, programs David Slyfield and all our loyal sponsors ... we sincerely thank you all for helping make our London Olympics 2012 campaign a success.
Cheers Peter and Blair.
