Serene Sailing Wins Gold

New Zealand sailors Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie fulfilled a pledge to go one better than the men by winning gold in sailing’s 470 class at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Aleh and Powrie sailed serenely round the short Nothe course untroubled by the British team of Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark. Mills and Clark chose the left side in the first upward beat while the New Zealanders struck out on their own course after a slow start and stayed in front to the end. “We had taken a look at the course before the race and we were pretty happy the right would be fine,” Aleh said. “We needed to strike out on our own.” In the men’s 49er class race, New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke received silver medals, the 100th Olympic medal for New Zealand, while in track and field, New Zealander Valerie Adams also won a silver medal in the shot put.