Sam Meech wins Bronze on Olympic Debut

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Issue date

17 Aug 2016

First-time Olympian Sam Meech has won Olympic Bronze in the Laser class pushing off challenges from five-time Olympic medallist Robert Scheidt (BRA) and reigning world champion Nick Thompson (GBR) with a solid medal race performance in Rio today.

It is New Zealand’s first ever medal in the Laser class, the tough fought men’s lightweight single-handed dinghy event which was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1996.

While 25-year-old Meech was well placed to take the bronze medal, there were a trio of more senior sailors able to push the young kiwi out of a podium finish if he didn’t perform today.

But as proven during the qualifying series Meech can deliver and he sailed a solid medal race to cross in 4^th when a top five was all he needed today to secure the bronze medal.

Meech said, “I knew I needed to get fifth or better to make sure I got the medal so I just tried to stay within a few boats of three or four of the other guys so my plan was really just to have a good race and to get a good start.”

“It more or less much went to plan, but obviously I was pretty nervous during the race.”

Looking back on the regatta Meech said, “I was aiming to have a shot at getting a medal at the end of the week and so I’m pretty stoked to finish the fleet racing and I was in that position, and to finish it off was absolutely amazing.”

“I’m really happy with how I sailed. There was only one race when things didn’t go that well. So I’m really proud.

After light winds in Rio yesterday pushed the high-pressure medal race out a day, the young kiwi had to hold his nerve, and he conceded that wasn’t easy.

“I really wish we could have raced yesterday – I was pretty nervous and I was really keen to get going, so it was pretty hard to go home and have to wait another day.”

The Laser class is the largest of the Olympic sailing fleets with 46 boats (from 46 nations) all vying for Olympic glory.

Meech stood on the spectacular Rio podium with Australia’s Tom Burton, who was able to use today’s double-points medal race to move up to gold, from Tonci Stipanovic who has won Croatia’s first ever Olympic medal in sailing with silver.

Local hero and Olympic legend Robert Scheidt won today's medal race to finish 4^th.

Sam Meech hails from the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club and spent a good part of his childhood cruising internationally on the family keelboat.

His younger sister Molly is also representing New Zealand in Rio sailing in the 49erFX women’s skiff event together with Alexandra Maloney, and the pair is well placed going into their medal race scheduled for 18 August.

Mark Howard is the coach for the NZL Sailing Team Laser squad and he has supported Meech in the final build-up and during the Olympic Games.