New Zealand sailors win three medals at Tokyo 2020 venue

New Zealand’s sailors have taken a liking to the venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, winning three World Cup medals at the Enoshima course.

Sam Meech picked up bronze in the laser, while Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn won silver in the 49er, with Alex Maloney and Molly Meech also placing second in the 49erFX.

Maloney and Meech went into their medal race in fourth, with silver the best possible outcome. The New Zealand pair didn't have the best of starts but played the shifts well to finish second in the race.

Maloney says the final race was tricky but went as well as it could have.

"One of our goals was to get off the start line well and we didn't do that but we managed to connect a few pressure lines. We sailed a pretty solid medal race but it was a close finish and there was a lot to play for."

In the men’s 49er medal race Dunning Beck and Gunn finished eighth, which was enough to snatch silver on countback over the Polish crew who were 10th.

"This regatta we feel like we have learned a lot about what we can improve on, which is more important than any result. It was a tough week because we didn't feel we were performing to a standard that we hold ourselves to. It was a good week in the end, though, to come away with silver,” said Dunning Beck.

Sam Meech felt he sailed poorly over the week so was pleased to come away with bronze. The Rio 2016 bronze medallist managed a fourth place in the medal race which was enough to propel him onto the podium.

“In the past when I haven't sailed well I have been at the back of the fleet. It's nice to have a bad week and still pick up a medal at the end of the week,” said Meech.

Above: Sam Meech

Meech’s main target is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and one of the main aims of this regatta was trying to better understand the Olympic venue.

Andy Maloney (fifth) and Josh Junior (sixth) were foiled in their attempts to jump onto the podium in the Finn after their medal race was cancelled due to a lack of wind.

A number of New Zealanders will remain in Japan for another regatta, Enoshima Olympic Week, starting in a few days' time.