We’ll Luke the part in Olympics
Luke Patience admits a close friend’s battle with cancer is spurring him to chase Olympic glory at Tokyo 2020.
The Aberdonian, who turns 32 next weekend, is plotting a course towards a third Olympics when he’ll hope to go one better than his silver at London 2012.
Before that, he has set his sights on a world championship title this week in Denmark.
Patience saw his build-up to the Rio Olympics wrecked when long-time crew-mate Elliot Willis was diagnosed with bowel cancer, forcing him to call in Chris Grube as a replacement.
They came fifth in the 470 class but Patience said: “We only had eight months building up to it and it was an unrealistic expectation to say, ‘We’ll win this.’
“I had this false hope. It still came down to minor details but I was actually very proud of what we managed in a short time together.
“I defy most of them to do that and we weren’t far off.
“We had one day that went wrong when we were in the medals. That was a tiny trip-up that had big effects but that is filed away going forward.”
Grube and Patience have now really polished up their act, winning the World Cup in Miami earlier this year. They have a new coach, a fresh attitude and even more determination.
Patience said: “We are quite clinical now, quite businesslike. We’re not the youngest guys out there any more but we feel we can out-work our competitors with that maturity and history we have behind us.”
Patience knows that Tokyo will probably be his Olympic swansong. He would love to spend more time surfing at his parents’ house in Tiree and even sail across the oceans.
He also wants to help kids get into a sport that’s been branded a closed shop for the rich – with the £22million it gets from UK Sport under threat with calls for more cash to go to the sports everyone can play.
Patience said: “Sport can give kids the ability to think big and dream of being that one per cent who get the chance to go and perform. By getting there, it’s all the more satisfying.
“I know that getting into sailing might be different from, say, boxing.
“Broadening it is no bad thing but I’m not sure sacrificing it is the right thing to do because you might lose the big dreamers.
“No one said that life is meant to be fair.”