Team GB's 49er sailors, Fynn Sterritt and James Peters, have secured their place in the medal race at the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite a challenging day on the water in Marseille.
The duo currently sit in 7th place overall, keeping their Olympic medal hopes alive. Despite the uphill battle, Sterritt, hailing from Kingussie, has vowed to fight until the very end.
"The first day wasn't quite what we'd planned in terms of points," admitted Sterritt. "We felt we were sailing well, but we picked up a few penalties and knew we'd have to grind it out from there."
He continued, "It's been a tough slog, but we've chipped away every day and worked our way up the leaderboard. Unfortunately, our first race today was tricky, but we finished the day with two strong performances. These were high-pressure races and we feel we delivered. We've slipped a few points back from the medal positions, but mathematically it's still possible, and we'll keep fighting until the final whistle."
The medal race will take place on Thursday afternoon at Marseille Marina, where the pair, who secured European bronze in 2022, will face off against nine other teams.
They have a significant challenge ahead, currently nine points behind the third-placed Kiwi duo of Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie, and 17 points ahead of Spain's Diego Botin and Florian Trittel.
However, Sterritt and Peters remain optimistic, despite the demanding conditions. "It's been a long and tiring week, the heat is draining," said Sterritt. "The sea conditions over the last few days have been absolutely brutal, requiring complete focus at all times. We're pretty exhausted now."
Peters added, "It's been crazy. The added pressure of the Olympics is there, but the sailing itself has been incredibly tough. The wind has been unpredictable, making it difficult to choose the best side of the course. You have to put all your eggs in one basket and hope for the best. It's been very tricky, and it's no surprise to see some top teams struggling."
The British Sailing Team are on Instagram at @britishsailing and their official website is www.britishsailingteam.com.