Scot delighted with silver while promising gold in Rio

Reporter

Saturday 11 August 2012

SCOTTISH sailor Luke Patience says he will return to the Olympic Games in four years' time to compete again after he and his sailing partner Stuart Bithell narrowly missed out on a gold medal to Australia in the men's 470 race in Weymouth.

CREST OF A WAVE: Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell were delighted after winning silver in the men's 470 race in Weymouth.

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Jody Harrison

The pair had needed to beat their southern rivals in the final race yesterday, and were in the lead at the first mark point, raising hopes of another gold for Team GB.

But they were overtaken and eventually came in second, guaranteeing silver medals, but missing out on top spot on the podium.

However, Patience, a 22-year-old from Helensburgh, was philosophical in defeat, and has vowed to keep sailing in the hope that he and Bithell can go one better at Rio 2016.He said: "To stand on an Olympic podium, it's not gold, but we're young boys and we'll be back. We're happy, happy boys. What a place. We're in paradise. It's so cool. "It's been three, four years hard work together and we're here standing on an Olympic podium."It's not gold, but there's plenty of time and we're coming back and we mean business next time."Bithell said: "We got the better of them at the start and just managed to sneak ahead, but unfortunately they sailed a fantastic race."They're worthy champions, but we're happy with second."They had kept alongside their rivals yesterday and were in the gold medal position as they rounded the top mark, but the Australian crew were able to gain a better position downwind and went into the lead, holding their nerve to cross the finish line first. Patience and Bithell first teamed up in 2009 and shortly after finished runners-up at the World Championships in Denmark. Patience began sailing at an early age in his home on the Firth of Clyde and teamed up with Bithell three years ago after the pair had been rivals.They listened to the announcement that London would host the Games seven years ago in the kitchen of the Scot's home.The 22-year-old helmsman, who has a pre-race superstition of tasting the water he is due to sail in the night before, started racing competitively when he was nine, participating in regattas around Scotland.By the age of 18 he was an international competitor across a range of classes."I think there's something special about mother nature and the ocean," he said in the build-up to the Games."It's something to be massively respected. I couldn't see myself doing anything else in my life but involve myself in doing something with the ocean."Bithell, 25, started off sailing with father, Les, in a wooden Firefly dinghy at Hollingworth Lake sailing club."It taught me a lot of skills and I owe the club a lot," he said before the Olympic regatta.Bithell's love of the sea is not confined to sailing, as he is also a keen surfer.Back on dry land he grows his own vegetables and will now have a few weeks to concentrate on his allotment before he and Patience set their sights on cultivating gold in Rio 2016.The British pair were also runners-up to Australia at the World Championships in Perth in December 2011.Argentina held on to third place in the standings to secure the bronze in yesterday's race.

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Scot delighted with silver while promising gold in Rio

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