Para Sailing: Steve Thomas uses 2012 blow as motivation

GB finished fifth in the final race but it was enough for overall victory

Welsh Para sailor Steve Thomas says he and his Sonar class GB colleagues are using controversy over events at the 2012 London Paralympics as motivation.

Thomas, John Robertson and Hannah Stodel won at the Para World Sailing Championships in Melbourne.

But in 2012, they were denied bronze after a four-point penalty was imposed.

"You've got to let that go otherwise it's going to eat you up. You've just got to use it positively and motivate you," said Thomas.

He is also is confident of having done enough in winning the 2015 world title to earn selection to the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

"We've done all we can now in terms of winning the Worlds and it's just down to them [selectors]," said Thomas

"But we're pretty confident on the back of this result."

Thomas rates the win in Australia among his career highlights.

He said: "We've won it twice before, back in the early days, but this is up there now just because the competition is getting stiffer and stiffer and there are more and more boats that can win medals at World Championships.

"So we're really pleased. The Aussies fought us hard and we managed to put some consistent results in."