International Olympic Committee : News

Ainslie sets record as Australia rule waves - London 2012 - Sailing

8/12/2012 12:00:00 AM

Ainslie overcame a tough start to Finn class proceedings to win a fourth successive gold medal, which saw him replace Denmark's legendary Paul Elvstrom as the Games' most decorated sailor ever.

The 35-year-old's gold was the Host Nation's only one on home waters, while Australia's three-gold haul saw them top the medal table.

Australia's Tom Slingsby kicked things off with a comprehensive victory in the Laser class, before Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen won men's 49er gold at a canter.

Men's 470 pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page then took gold on the penultimate day of racing, which was enough to see Australia end Britain's Sailing dominance of the past three Games - although the British still won more medals than any other nation.

'When it was presented to us in various times in the lead-up it almost made us a bit sick because it's not what we're about,' said Australia Sailing team's High Performance Director Peter Conde.

'But having said all of that, at the end of the day, it's nice. If you think back to Sydney in 2000 the Brits came and rained on our parade as sailors and were the top nation.

'So I think it's fitting that we returned serve here.'

Spain - rather surprisingly - finished second in the Sailing medal table after Marina Alabautook women's RS:X gold and Tamara Echegoyen skippered the women's Elliott 6m Match Racing team to glory.

Dorian van Rijsselberge's performance in the men's RS:X class was arguably the most impressive of the regatta, with the Netherlands windsurfer wrapping up gold before the end of the opening series.

In the women's 470 class, Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie secured New Zealand yachting's first non-boardsailing gold since 1984, while Xu Lijia of China finished top of the women's Laser Radial standings after a four-way tussle for glory in the medal race.

The surprise of the regatta came in the Star medal race as Sweden's Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen snatched gold ahead of favourites Great Britain and Brazil.

Spain snatch surprise Sailing gold - London 2012 - Sailing

8/11/2012 12:00:00 AM

Tamara Echegoyen-skippered Spain overcame Ekaterina Skudina's Russia in the semi-finals yesterday and went on to deny the Australian crew a fourth Sailing gold medal of the Games.

Australia twice recovered from going behind in the best-of-five series, but Echegoyen, Sofia Toro and Angela Pumariega went onto ensure Spain top the podium.

Things began well for the eventual gold medallists in Weymouth Bay, easily winning the first race ahead of Australia's Olivia Price, Lucinda Whitty and Nina Curtis.

The Australians responded well and impressively won the second race, before things went wrong in match three as Price fell out of the boat.

Australia took the lead and were making good progress on the first downwind leg when the skipper was swept out of the boat, forcing crew members Whitty and Curtis to swing around to collect her.

Spain went on to easily win the race but Australia responded strongly yet again, levelling things up at 2-2 as they took the fourth race by some distance.

However, Price and her crew eventually had be happy with silver after being forced to take a penalty turn in a tight final race, allowing Spain to go and win the first-to-three series.

'We are very, very happy,' Pumariega said.

'It was close racing and they have won very, very often in Weymouth so to win the gold medal is a dream.

'We thought it would be over all five races because Australia are a very strong team, but we knew we would win the gold medal.

'We of course surprised ourselves, though. We said before the Olympics we would try to pass the quarter-finals and as each race went very well we said 'why not go become Olympic champion?'. It is a dream.'

Earlier in the afternoon, Silja Lehtinen's Finland overcame Skudina's Russia to win bronze.

Australians take 470 gold - London 2012 - Sailing

8/10/2012 12:00:00 AM

Great Britain's Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell took silver after just falling short of gold on the south coast today.

The British pair came into the medal race with second-place assured and aiming to take top spot from the Australians.

But Belcher and Page were too strong and finished ahead of the Host Nation sailors, who would have needed at least one boat between them and the Australians to take gold.

The medal race was originally due to take place yesterday, but light winds on the Nothe course saw it delayed.

There was only six knots of wind this afternoon but racing got under way as planned, with Patience and Bithell making the better start.

After chasing Belcher and Page during the pre-start, the British pair enjoyed a successful first leg and rounded the windward mark in the lead with Croatia second and their rivals in third.

However, the Australians proved why they are world champions by overtaking Patience and Bithell downwind to round the bottom mark in the lead.

Britain were behind Croatia's Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic in third, but responded well with aggressive sailing to bring the fleet back in.

They rounded the third mark in fourth, though, and saw their hopes of gold fade when they had to do a penalty turn for pumping the sails in the light winds.

Patience and Bithell rounded the final mark in fourth and could only watch on as Croatia won the medal race and Belcher and Page crossed the line second to secure gold - Australia's third of the sailing regatta.

Bronze went to Argentina, who finished third.

Gold for New Zealand in women's 470 - London 2012 - Sailing

8/10/2012 12:00:00 AM

Great Britain's Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, who entered the medal race top of the standings alongside them, took silver.

The Netherlands pair of Lisa Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout took bronze after coming sixth in the medal race.

With light winds playing havoc on the south coast, only two flights were possible on the Nothe Course for the women's Eliot 6m match racing before the breeze died.

Racing was postponed and moved to Portland Harbour, where it restarted at 5pm with both semi-finals tied at 1-1.

With no racing able to take place after 5.30pm, the third flight became decisive and Olivia Price-skippered Australia beat Silja Lehtinen's Finland on a photo finish after a superb comeback.

Price said: 'It really was a hard fight, we had to make some really good decisions and we got there in the end. To be honest I'm still trying to take it all in.'

Australia will face Spain for the gold medal after Tamara Echegoyen's team overcame Ekaterina Skudina's Russia in the final race of the day.

Echegoyen said: 'Now we fight for gold.'I think it will go to five races. The Australians sail very well and we will have to fight a lot. I think all the races will be close.

'I think the secret is that we have sailed with great concentration and calm, and I think the favourites have the pressure.'

As well as the gold medal race, Finland and Russia will fight for bronze tomorrow.

Australians steer a course to gold - London 2012 - Sailing

8/8/2012 10:33:00 PM

The pair's success was a formality and they eased home with a fourth-place finish in the medal race.

New Zealand's Peter Burling and Blair Tuke were assured of silver already, but Denmark's Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang produced a late burst to secure bronze ahead of final race winners Austria and fellow hopefuls Great Britain.

Meanwhile, there is a real battle for gold taking shape in the women's 470 class.

New Zealand's Jo Aleh/Olivia Powrie and Great Britain's Hannah Mills/Saskia Clark are mathematically assured of a medal after today's racing.

The two teams have amassed a large enough points margin after the end of the opening race series to be sure that they will leave with at least a bronze.

They now face a straight fight for the top prize, with both crews level on 33 points.

In the women's Elliott 6m Match Racing, Australia advanced to the semi-final after a 3-1 race-series win over the Netherlands.

They will meet Finland in the last four, following their victory over the USA.

In the other semi-final, Spain will go head-to-head with Russia after their victories over France and Great Britain respectively.

Cyprus celebrates first Olympic medal as Kontides claims silver

8/7/2012 11:35:00 AM

The 22-year-old entered the medal race with a chance of winning gold, but Australia’s five-time world champion Tom Slingsby – who had led the regatta from start to finish – managed to stay ahead of Kontides over the Nothe course in Weymouth and secure the Olympic title.

Kontides, who is also an Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder, was delighted to have secured Cyprus’ first-ever Olympic medal.

"It is really amazing,” he said. “For me and my country, it is a historic day. I suspect my name will be written in golden letters in Cyprus. I still don't realise what I have done for myself and when I return to my country on Thursday and people are cheering for me I will start to realise the level of achievement."

Cyprus first competed at the Games in 1980 and Kontides predicted that the country would be proud of his success: "When I get back home there will be huge celebrations because this is a huge achievement for my country, the first-ever Olympic medal,” he said. “When I have the medal over my neck and I am back home with my compatriots, then I will really understand what's going on. I hadn't really seen it because I didn't allow myself to be emotional, just focused."

Australians savour success - London 2012 - Sailing

8/6/2012 12:00:00 AM

Slingsby declared himself the happiest man in the world after banishing the nightmare of his Olympic Games experience four years ago to secure Australia's second gold medal of London 2012.

The 27-year-old came into the regatta as overriding favourite in the Laser class - just like he did at Beijing 2008, where he did not even make the medal race and finished in 22nd place.

Slingsby made amends this week, though, impressing throughout and securing gold in today's medal race.

'Who would be feeling better in the world right now? No one,' he said.

'I've worked for 12 years to get here. I put everything I had into it and I've done it. I couldn't be happier.

'It is a weird feeling. Last time I did everything I could to come away with a medal and I wasn't even close.

'This time around, I got the gold and I am going home very happy. Knowing all the work was for something is a great feeling.'

Knowing all the work was for something is a great feeling.

Slingsby came into the medal race with a 14-point lead over his nearest rival Pavlos Kontides, with the Cypriot taking the silver.

The 22-year-old became the first Cypriot athlete ever to win an Olympic medal.

'I guess back home they are waiting for me and when I get back there it will be huge celebrations,' he said.

'I still don't understand how huge an achievement this is for my country, being the first ever Olympic medal.

'I guess when I have the medal over my neck and when I am back home with my compatriots then I will really understand what's going on.'

Bronze went to Sweden's Rasmus Myrgren.

China's Xu Lijia claimed another gold medal for her country with victory in the Laser Radial class.

Xu, Evi Van Acker, Annalise Murphy and Marit Bouwmeester all had a serious chance of claiming the title, but it was Xu who held on while Bouwmeester took silver and Belgium's Van Acker moved ahead of Murphy in that final upwind to take bronze.

Australia, meanwhile, are set for more medal joy after Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen mathematically secured gold in the 49er class.

The pair got a first and third today to make their lead unassailable heading into the medal race.

They are 28 points clear of New Zealand's Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who are assured of silver as they are 32 points ahead of Denmark. Elsewhere, Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell moved within a point of Australian pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page in the men's 470 class.

The British duo got a victory in the first race and then a sixth, which is automatically discarded as it is their worst result of the regatta so far.

Ainslie stars amid Swede dreams - London 2012 - Sailing

8/5/2012 12:00:00 AM

Defending Olympic Games champions Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson sailed exceptionally throughout the week and came into today's Star medal race with an eight-point lead over Brazil's Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada.

However, it was Sweden, not Brazil, who proved to be Percy and Simpson's undoing as the Brits lost their crown to Loof and Salminen.

It capped a perfect Olympic debut for the latter and ended five-time Olympian, two-time bronze medallist Loof's Star career in style.

'It was a dream come true,' he said. 'We were happy for the silver but the gold came instead.

'We knew the other guys would be more stressed than us because they had more pressure than us.

'We really had nothing to lose so we put pressure on the other guys in the lead.

'We were hoping for a good first cross, we got a good first cross and then we just sailed a brilliant race.'

While the Swedes celebrated victory, it was not long before Great Britain's Ben Ainslie also had something to cheer.

The 35-year-old replaced Denmark's legendary Paul Elvstrom as the Games' most decorated sailor after triumphing on home waters in the Finn class, in front of thousands of supporters in Weymouth.

Ainslie faced fierce resistance throughout the week from Elvstrom's countryman Jonas Hogh-Christensen, although he managed to finish ahead of the Dane in this afternoon's medal race to increase his Olympic haul to four golds and a silver.

Afterwards Ainslie said: 'I am pretty speechless. It has been a tough week. There was amazing competition, especially from Jonas Hogh-Christensen from Denmark, but this was the time to do it in front of a home crowd.'

Fleet racing continued in the other classes today, such as the men's RS:X, where Dorian van Rijsselberge has one hand on the gold medal.

The Netherlands windsurfer got a bullet - sailing terminology for victory - in race nine but did not finish race 10 as gold was already secured - assuming he completes the medal race - so did not want to get in the way of the rest of the fleet.

In the women's RS:X, Spain's Marina Alabau is in pole position for glory, with a 14-point cushion over her rivals Lee-El Korzits and Tuuli Petaja in joint second.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark are top of the women's 470 standings after six races after posting a first and sixth today.

Australia's Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have a strong lead at the top of the 49er class after a double bullet today.

Kontides revels in medal achievement - London 2012 - Sailing

8/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

The 22-year-old has sailed exceptionally during the Games so far and saw a podium finish become a certainty on Day 8. Kontides is guaranteed silver if he finishes the medal race and could even yet get gold if Australia's Tom Slingsby has a bad day on Monday.

'This is the greatest day of my life,' he said. 'I still don't believe what's happened. When I saw all the media and my compatriots celebrating then I understood my huge achievement. 'We still have Monday's medal race and mathematically gold is still possible. I just have to relax and clear my head and try to sail my best on Monday and try the possibility for gold. It's going to be hard, it's a lot of points, but it's still possible.'

Kontides is expecting rival Slingsby to be fiercely competitive in the medal race. "I am pretty sure that Tom will probably match race and really keep close to me because he needs to be in the top seven and keep me out of the top three for gold,' he said. 'I have to think of a tactic or something how I would be able to escape from him and then try to put places in between us.'

The Laser Radial, meanwhile, is set for an epic showdown with only one point separating first and fourth. Xu Lijia, Marit Bouwmeester, Evi Van Acker and Annalise Murphy are all in with a serious shot. Olympic debutant Murphy has promised to attack from the off. 'It was pretty hard out there,' said Ireland's Murphy, who finished third and seventh today. 'Everybody has been having good races and average races so between us top four it is pretty tight. I am just going to approach the medal race like any other race and attack it. Hopefully I can take advantage of that. I don't think we'll be able to match race each other as we're so tight on points. It is going to be a good race.'

470 under way, Finn battle heats up - London 2012 - Sailing

8/2/2012 12:00:00 AM

With the 470 competition getting under way on Day 6, the GB duo were edged out by Matthias Schmid and Florian Reichstaedter in the first race, but then followed up that second place with a victory in race two.

That gave them the role of pacesetters after the early stages of competition, but there is still a long way to go, with the Austrians sitting second ahead of Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Ostling of Sweden.

In the Finn class, Denmark's Jonas Hogh-Christensen continues to lead the way, but his spot at the top came under increasing pressure after he failed to shine on the water.

Hogh-Christensen finished eighth in the first race of the day as Britain's Ben Ainslie finally got his regatta back on track, before Spain's Rafael Trujillo Villar won race 8.

Ainslie's strong performance closed the gap on the Dane at the top, but he only has two opening series races tomorrow as well as Sunday's medal race to usurp the leader.

The same number of races remain in the Star class, where Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson are well placed to retain their gold medal from Beijing 2008.

The British pair secured a first and second this afternoon to extend their lead at the top to nine points over second-place Brazilians Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada.

'We seemed alright today,' Simpson said. 'It is not much of a lead sadly in this but any lead is always good. All we can do is keep chipping away.'

Earlier in the afternoon, Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes secured a double victory in the 49er class.

The pair endured a frustrating start to London 2012 but are now beginning to show their true class, winning both races in Portland Harbour.

Australian leaders Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen could only place 10th and sixth today.

Nick Dempsey rounded off a great day for Team GB with a second-race victory in the men's RS:X, leaving him fourth in the standings behind Dorian Van Rijsselberge of the Netherlands.

In the Elliott 6m Match Racing, Australia continue to dominate as they preserved their 100 per cent record, while Marina Alabau Neira is still top of the women's RS:X.