America’s Cup 2017: Jimmy Spithill in tears but gracious in defeat

  • 27/06/2017

Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill could barely contain his emotions during a post-match race after his boat’s loss to Team NZ in the America’s Cup this morning.

But the Australian-born yachtsman praised Team NZ’s performance, saying his rivals deserved “full marks”.

"I've just spent so much time and energy … I really want to thank the entire team and we'll take it from there," Spithill said, voice thick with emotion.

"The boys have got to hold their heads up high, they fought hard the whole way, I'm very proud of them and we'll see what happens."

Despite Spithill’s rocky relationship with New Zealand fans, commentary on social media was equally gracious towards the Oracle skipper.

Newshub's Andrew Gourdie said Spithill "brought so much to this contest" and called him "a great competitor".

Journalist David Wyn Williams had a cheekier comment: "There's nothing more disconcerting than an emotional, defeated Aussie sportsman."

Catch all the live updates as we continue to report on Team NZ's win through the morning.

Newshub.