Giles Scott says missing out on a World Championship medal in Melbourne is the wake-up call he needed as he ramps up preparations to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo.
The Rio 2016 gold medallist, who won the European title in May, had to settle for fourth at the Finn Gold Cup as racing came to a climax.
The 32-year-old was out of contention for gold going into the final medal race and finished eighth in the double-points event – a performance he knows he will need to improve on to retain his title at next year’s Games.
“This week will serve as a bit of a wake-up call,” he said.
“It was tough racing and unfortunately for me it wasn’t the way I wanted to end the regatta. I didn’t really get the swing of it and ended up struggling in the medal race.
“It’s frustrating to finish fourth, no-one wants that, but equally I didn’t want to finish second or third.
“It would definitely have been nice to have finished this year as European and world champion. But, ultimately, it’s not about world titles, it’s about preparation for the [Tokyo 2020 Olympic] Games.”
New Zealand’s Josh Junior won the event, while Britons Ed Wright and Henry Wetherell finished 13 and 24 respectively.
Sportsbeat 2019