CHESTER’S Chris Grube faces missing out on a place at next year’s Olympic Games after suffering a late slide down the rankings at the World Sailing Championships in Australia.

The 26-year-old from Mickle Trafford travelled Down Under knowing that selection for London 2012 hinged on his performance in Perth.

Grube, sailing in the 470 class with two-time Olympic silver medallist Nick Rogers, started promisingly and was well in contention until a couple of disappointing days saw the pair finish 10th.

Team GB rivals Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell, however, were in inspired form. They took the silver medal and will surely be awarded Britain’s sole 470 slot for the Olympics.

Grube, a former Upton High School pupil, said: “It is disappointing that we didn’t reach our full potential and if we don’t get selected it will be gutting.”

Grube and Rogers were in the running until the final two days of the championships.

But two disappointing finishes of 18th and 20th were followed by a ninth-place finish in the medal showdown – the event’s final race – and they ended up 10th overall.

Grube added: “I really enjoyed the championships up until the Saturday before the medal race – we were really, really in with a shout.

“But we just sailed badly and the pressure got to us a little bit, with us trying things that we wouldn’t normally do out on the water.”

Grube has only been sailing with Rogers for the past year.

He says his sailing has come on leaps and bounds since, but he may take a break from the sport if Olympic selection goes the way of Patience and Bithell.

“If we don’t make it, I will probably have a bit of a break,” he admitted.

Investment specialist Skandia is the principal sponsor of the British sailing team.

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