Laser

Qingdao, China - All eyes were on the Lasers today, as the lightweight singlehanders took to the water for the 2008 Olympic medal race. Paul Goodison of Great Britain went into the final event with only one rival, setting up a match race with Sweden's Rasmus Myrgren. Goodison's goal: block Sweden, and that's precisely what happened at the back of the pack, right from the start.

Qingdao, China - The Laser class boats started sailing at the Olympics on Tuesday, where light conditions saw the underdogs beat most of the favorites around the course. The 43 men sailed first in the Lasers, where we watched Julio Alsogaray of Argentina grab the lead early, and never let it go. Alsogaray was followed past the finish line by the sailors from New Zealand and Italy.

Tom Slingsby is both the Laser World Champion, and the top ISAF rated Laser sailor in the world - two distinct measures by which to say that he is the very best. In just a few hours, Tom will be sailing for Australia in the 2008 Olympics - his first Olympics - and clearly his own standard for excellence is the gold medal. All of his training, all of his other accomplishments, all of his sacrifices for the last eight years are about to be put to to the test in this ultimate world championship, and nobody is expecting more of Tom Slingsby than Tom himself.

At dinghy docks, in boathouses and garages, under tarps in backyards, and of course, out on the water, the accumulated weight of all the Lasers out there (nearly 200,000 have been built) may very well affect the Earth's rotation. The reason for its popularity is clear: It's a boat simple enough for beginners, and yet so pure in its design and performance that it is the boat of choice for some of the world's best sailors.

A southerly change producing winds over 30 knots, big swells and heavy rain put a dampener on what showed the promise of a nail-biting finish to the Laser Worlds in Australia this week. Racing was postponed and the abandoned and defending champion Tom Slingsby of Australia was announced Laser World Champion for 2008.