Sydney windsurfer Grae Morris will definitely leave the Paris Olympics with a medal in his keeping - but what colour is still to be determined.
The 20-year-old is in the box seat to snag gold after he finished first in the qualifying series on Thursday, raced on the Mediterranean off Marseille in southern France.
He will go into Friday's (from 2200 AEST) three-sailor final to decide who takes the top prize.
After finishing fourth, seventh and eighth from three races on Thursday, Morris said he was relieved to have secured a medal but would go all out on his iQFOiL board to chase gold.
He set up the top ranking on day one, with a race win, two second places, and a ninth place.
"It does ease my mind a little knowing that I'll be coming home with something in my hand, but I won't be fully satisfied until it's over," he said.
Morris entered the final day of qualification with a one-point lead over Israeli Tom Reuveny, and pushed that out to three points with three top 10 finishes.
New Zealander Josh Armit is a further three points back.
Morris will now become the first Australian to win a medal in windsurfing since Lars Kleppich brought home bronze from Barcelona in 1992.
The medal series commences with a quarter-final for athletes ranked fourth to 10th from the qualifying series.
The top two from that race move to the semi-final with the riders ranked second and third, with the top two from that race qualifying for the medal decider where Morris awaits.
In other racing on Thursday, Tokyo 2020 ILCA 7 champion Matt Wearn got his Paris campaign off to a strong start and sits in second after his two races behind Peru's Stefanpo Peschiera
"It's just nice to get it underway," said the Western Australian.
"Having watched the women's and men's skiffs race for the last few days it's just nice to get underway ourselves.
"It was a tricky day as we were expecting in Marseille, so nice to get two solid races in."
In the women's equivalent, the ILCA 6 class, Olympic debutant Zoe Thomson opened with a 12th in her one race before the wind died.
The conditions caused long delays and cancellations, and Australia's women's skiff team of Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine will have to wait another day for their medal race.
Qualifying for the final in ninth place, they have been rescheduled for Friday pending an improvement.
The first day of mixed dinghy qualifying series, featuring Australian pair Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas, is also set to get underway.
