Australia’s Olympic champion Matt Wearn has a keenly-awaited title in his grasp even before Sunday’s medal race at the sailing world championships.
Wearn went into the penultimate day of ILCA 7 class racing off The Hague on Saturday in second place behind British sailor Mickey Beckett but he finished it with an unassailable 20-point lead.
He just needs to show every endeavour to start and finish the medal race to take out his first ILCA 7 world title after three silver medals.
“It’s quite emotional to be honest,” said Wearn.
“Three seconds in a row, that always hurts. It’s been a tough 18 months as well and coming back from a bit of illness, so from that sense it feels even more special.”
Wearn’s result ticks off another box for the Australian team in securing a nation quota spot for the ILCA 7 at next year’s Paris Olympics.
Wearn wasn’t the only Aussie to confirm an Olympic quota berth.
Tokyo Olympian Mara Stransky came from 14th place on Friday to secure the final spot in Sunday’s ILCA 6 medal race by one point and with it Australia’s place at the Paris Games.
“Given how high scoring the week has been there was still a chance that if I had two good races I could make it (into the medal race),” explained Stransky.
“My only aim was to try and stay in the top 10 in both races and see what happened, that was all I could control. I went out there and got a four and a 10 and scraped in by one point.
“I’m a little shocked to be honest.”
Sydney’s Grae Morris qualified for the do-or-die iQFOiL quarter-final in fourth place, but unfortunately got disqualified which put an end to his regatta.
“I pushed it a bit hard off the start and I got called over so it’s a bit disappointing,” said Morris.
“I am still super stoked. I have made it to the quarters which I was super happy to be able to do especially as it was an improvement from last year, so it’s been all good gains and I’ll keep moving forward.”
Australia’s world championship campaign will wrap up with the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 medal races, and will include one gold, one bronze and five Olympic nation quotas for Paris.
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