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Aust 470 pair win Euro sailing gold

Australian 470 sailors Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have won gold in the Open European championship.

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Source: AAP


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Australia's Olympic sailing gold medal hopes Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have recovered from a tough world championships to win the 470 Open European titles.

The pair went into the gold medal race in Mallorca on Wednesday (AEST) with a solid 12-point lead, and extended that to 16 points to win gold.

The duo top the world rankings, with Belcher the reigning London 2012 gold medallist.

"Going into the Games being number one is a bit scary, but on the other hand I would prefer to have it that way than the other," Ryan said.

Belcher and Ryan won three world championships in a row before finishing third in Argentina in February.

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The European win gets them back on track in the last major 470 event before the Rio Games.

Carrie Smith and Jamie Ryan in the women's 470 event finished eighth at the European titles, firming up their chances of selection in Rio.

Australia has qualified for the women's 470, but has yet to decide if it will send a team.


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