Sailing: Kiwis Aleh, Powrie battle for bronze to add to Burling and Tuke's gold medal

After mixed results over the opening days of the Rio Olympics test regatta, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie fought hard to win bronze in the women's 470 yesterday. Photo / Sailing Energy

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have won bronze in the women's 470 at the Rio Olympics test event on Guanabara Bay yesterday adding to the gold secured by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er class the day before.

Another two top five finishes were added to the New Zealand results with Josh Junior in the Finn class, and Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders in the Nacra 17 both finishing 5th overall.

Aleh and Powrie concede that an average first half to the regatta put them in catch-up mode and they were pleased to turn things around at the midway mark for a podium finish.

"We're actually pretty happy with it. I think we sailed well for the last half of the event but we had such a shocker in the first half that I think this was about as good as we could come back with so we're happy to pull it together at the end," said Aleh.

"We were in and out of the bronze medal on the first upwind beat and the first downwind, and then we managed to solidify second place in the race which gave us the bronze medal," said Powrie.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) were well placed for gold but it slipped from their grasp when they finished last in the medal race and USA's Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha stole the overall victory.

Aleh and Powrie have now had seven podium finishes at the major international regattas in the women's 470 class this year, including victories at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Princess Sofia Regatta and they claimed the Women's 470 European Championship title.

The men's and women's 470 World Championships are on in October in Haifa, Israel.

Josh Junior romped away for a medal race win in the Finn finale.

Lying fifth going into the race, the win wasn't enough to alter his overall position and he wraps up the regatta with that as his final result.

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders went into the final double-points race sixth overall, and a decent final race saw them lift their placing to record a top five finish in the Nacra 17.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke took 49er gold to continue their domination of the class.

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech finished fourth overall in the 49erFX.

Men's 470 pair Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox were back on the water sailing one race in which they placed 13th. Their week was interrupted when Willcox had to sit out on a day of racing on the doctor's recommendation and they conclude the regatta in 20th overall.