What's in store for Day 11 Matthew Sheahan reports
******UPDATE********
Paul Goodison lifted Great Britain’s medal tally to four this morning winning gold in a light weather race in which he finished second to last. While the picture may have looked confusing to those who haven’t followed the build up to the medal races, Goodison’s medal winning strategy didn’t require him to do anything other than beat his Swedish opponent in order to guarantee gold. Yesterday’s performance had secured bronze.
**** Other News *****
Anna Tunnicliffe wins gold in the Laser Radials for USA. Great Britain’s Penny Clark finished her Olympic campaign in 10th after a 7th in the medal race.
In the RSX class, GBR’s Nick Dempsey scored 5th today to leave him on equal second on points going into the medal race tomorrow. Bryony Shaw was second in today’s race and goes into the medal race in third overall, just 4 points adrift of the lead.
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PREVIEW
Hot, hazy, humid and very light. Today will be challenging with the threat of a gentle northerly breeze that threatens to go head to head a building sea breeze. Close to the shore where the Laser medal races take place could be the trickiest of race courses.
RACING
Centre Stage is the Laser and Laser Radial Medal races. Brit sailor Paul Goodison has already won bronze, will get silver if he comes 9th, gold if 8th. Not a bad way to start the day, but given the fierce competition in this fleet, take nothing for granted. Of course one of the big differences is that with just 10 boats on the race course, rather than the complete fleet of 43, we should get a better view of the differences in speed, something Goodison has always been pretty confident with.
In the Laser Radials USA sailor Anna Tunnicliffe goes into the day seven points ahead, chased by Gintare Volungeviciute of Lithuania and China’s Lijia Xu, all of whom have a shot at gold. Britain’s Penny Clark just managed to get into the medal race, but trailing Tunnicliffe by 65 points and Xu by 54 points, a medal is out of the question.
RSX Men – In the last day’s racing before the medal race, Brit sailor Nick Dempsey is just three points behind Kiwi Tom Ashley with France’s Julien Bontemps chasing hard in third, just one point astern.
RSX Women – Alessandra Sensini leads the field for Italy with Britain’s Bryony Shaw in fourth place 9 points behind, a serious medal prospect if all continues to go well today.
Star – Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson hauled their way into second after yesterday’s racing. Today they will be looking to demonstrate that yesterday’s form was no accident. Another closely fought class in which Brazilian rockstar Robert Scheidt is currently struggling in 8th overall with more double figure results than anyone would have had him and his crew Bruno Prada down for at the beginning of the series.
Tornado – Echavarri and Paz from Spain and Bundock and Asby from Australia currently share the lead with three races left to go before the medal race. The Greek team is 12 points behind in third while the Brits, McMillan and Howden are struggling in 12th.
The code zero secret weapon does not appear to have worked out for US sailors, Lovell and Ogletree who are second to last in 14th place.
RUMBLINGS
The 49er medals may have been handed out but the debate over the controversial decision to award the Danes gold has moved back into the protest room with protests from the Spanish and Italian teams were lodged against the jury. These protests have since been dismissed. But is this really the end of the issue?
RACING SCHEDULE – Tuesday 19 August (times are local)
Course A: 1300 hrs – Laser & Laser radial medal race
Course B: 1100hrs – RS:X men and women (1 race each)
Course C: 1300hrs – Star and Tornado (2 races each)
PODCASTS
Ben Ainslie describes how he feels after winning his third gold medal
Light and…..brilliant. Nick Rogers tells Matthew Sheahan about his tricky day in the 470 class
UK Laser sailor Paul Goodison talks to Matthew Sheahan after his opening day at the 2008 Olympics
British 470 sailors Nic Rogers and Joe Glanfield describe their first day on the race track 11-8-08
Ben Ainslie after the second day of racing plus comments on penalties – 10 Aug
** USEFUL LINKS **
Official Olympic Sailing Schedule plus mark roundings