World Sailing: Thompson wins Laser bronze medal for GB

Nick Thompson has won Britain's first medal at the Sailing World Championships in Santander.

The 28-year-old from Lymington took bronze after crossing the line in the men's Laser medal race in seventh.

"If I am honest, I am disappointed. It was my chance to go one better than I have done previously," he said.

Earlier, Alison Young finished eighth in the women's Laser Radial event to finish her regatta in ninth place overall.

It is a fourth world medal for Thompson, who won bronze in 2009 and silver in 2010 and 2011. The result also hands Thompson his third bronze medal of the season after similar finishes at both the European Championships and the Rio Olympic Test event.

"It is good to get a medal, and I have done so now in the three major events this year but at the moment I have mixed feelings for sure," he added.

"It was a really challenging race and there were a lot of position changes which made it interesting. It has been one of the most challenging events I have done for a while, pretty similar to Rio in that respect. I guess it is good to have come away with a medal in those sort of varied conditions.

"I have shown I don't have many weaknesses now which is rewarding and I will try and work on a few of the small areas and try and do better next year."

Nick Dempsey is out of medal contention in the men's windsurfing. The defending world champion and London 2012 silver medallist will start Friday's medal race in sixth place overall.

In the women's event Bryony Shaw heads into her final race of the regatta in fourth place to give herself a chance of another podium finish having claimed a silver medal at last year's event in Brazil.

Shaw's French rival Charline Picon has an unassailable 28-point lead at the top to secure the gold medal with one race to go.