Laser World Championship - New World Champion

10:46 PM Wed 26 Aug 2009 GMT

'Laser World Championship 2009' Matias Capizzano &copy

Nautel Laser World Championships 2009. There's a new Laser World Champion. Olympic gold medalist Paul Goodison of Great Britain hung on in the final day of competition to take first place at the 2009 Nautel Laser World Championships on St. Margaret's Bay in Nova Scotia.

Coming into the competition, the chief rival of 32-year-old Goodison was 21-year-old Australian Tom Slingsby who won the 2007 and 2008 Worlds. Slingsby came in 17th.

Michael Bullot of New Zealand took second, with Goodison's country-mate Nick Thompson in third in the gold fleet. Argentinean Julio Alsogaray took fourth. Top Canadians were David Wright in 7th, and Michael Leigh in 10th.

Max Andrews of New Zealand took first in the silver fleet, Thomas Barrows of the US Virgin Islands, and Jonasz Stelmaszyk of Poland took third. Top Canadians in the silver fleet were Luke Ramsay in 6th and Abe Torchinsky in 10th.

In the bronze fleet, Landder Balcaen of Belgioum took first, Joaquin Blanco Albalat of Spain took second and country mate Guitian Sarria Paablo took third. Top Canadian in the bronze fleet was Al Clark in fifth.

'The final race was classic with Goodison and Bullot hunting each other at the start,' said event manager Duncan Enman. 'It was a mesmerizing dance along the start line as each athlete tried to outplay the other. Amazing sailing, amazing sport, as one would expect at a World championship.'