Olympics 2024: Kiwi sailors Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie continue successful legacy in 49er

Living up to the Olympic legacy of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke was no easy feat but Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie managed to do exactly that.

The duo have earned a silver medal in the 49er class off the coast of Marseille, securing a fourth successive podium finish in the event for New Zealand.

Burling and Tuke, America’s Cup champions and now SailGP stars, won two silvers in the 49er and sandwiched those London and Tokyo successes around a gold at Rio 2016.

McHardie and McKenzie spent much of this regatta looking like they would indeed follow in those significant footsteps, though they had to be patient to make that a reality.

After light winds in the south of France saw the medal race started and abandoned twice on day six of the Paris Olympics, the Kiwi pair bided their time and eventually managed to move up from third to second.

Diego Botin and Florian Trittel of Spain claimed the medal race and the gold medal, while McHardie and McKenzie took advantage of an error from Ireland at the start line to clinch a spot on the dais.

New Zealand, who came home second in the race, needed to finish two places ahead of the Irish, who faded from medal contention as the United States won bronze.

McHardie and McKenzie celebrated with a quick swim in the Mediterranean Sea, capping a strong 18 months from the crew. They were fifth at the test event last year and fourth at the world championships.

“It feels amazing. I’m still trying to process what has happened today. It’s always been a dream of mine so to live it out and experience it is just amazing,” McKenzie said.

“Down the last run we knew we had it we just had to make sure nothing silly happened so we just nursed the boat home. When we crossed that finish line it was amazing.

“I turned to Isaac and said, ‘I can’t believe we just did that’.”

The duo started strongly in the regatta with three wins across the first two days which put them in medal contention. They then had to wait with the wind not playing ball.

“For the last week I’ve tried not to think about it too much and take it each race at a time. To cross the finish line and let it all go was unreal,” McKenzie said.

The duo have been together for seven years with an Olympic medal a target from the first day they paired up in the boat. McHardie said they’ll get home and celebrate the silver before planning the future.

“There’s definitely potential for another Olympics. After winning a silver medal you will always want to find that buzz again,” he said.

“Pete and Blair have been real cool role models for us. We’ve been really lucky to have them to be honest.

“They’ve been the benchmark for 49er sailing for 10-odd years. So to have them as role models and their continuous support even when they’ve been out of the boat has been incredible.”

Hear it as it happens with live commentary of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on GOLD SPORT & iHeartRadio, plus comprehensive coverage on Newstalk ZB.