Day 2 of the Tokyo Games sailing and a slight change in wind strength added something to the mix, not a major game changer, but enough to shuffle the leaderboards.
For the early starters, the women’s RS:X and the men’s Laser, the breeze was up and in the RS:X this suited Emma Wilson who was able to win her first Olympic race – and the first for Team GB at Tokyo – to tie with Charline Picon of France at the top of the leaderboard.
Outstanding performance of the day was from China’s Yunxiu Lu with a 2, 2, 1, scoreline to move from 7th to 3rd overall and only two points off the leaders.
In the men’s Laser, where they are still one race down, the early discard is having a strong effect with Kaarle Tapper of Finland the new leader despite a 14 in the third race.
In fact it is third placed Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus who has the most consistant scoreline before the discard, so could be well placed as they move on.
Making some bettert moves Monday were two of the expected leading contenders . . . Australia’s Matt Wearn (12 overall) and New Zealand’s Sam Meech (17 overall).
Wearn had a 28 and a 2, while Meech a 19 and an 8, but both having a second double figure score was not helpful to their medal prospects.
Brazil’s Robert Scheidt, looking for a sixth medal to go with his 2 gold, 2 siver and a bronze, was very much in contention finishing fourth in the final race to place eighth overall.
In the men’s RS:X Kiran Badloe finished the day in first, but after receiving a DSQ from a Port/Satrboard incident in race 5, where he finished second, was downgraded to third overall.
Britain’s Tom Squires had a better day leading in two of the races and jumping seven places to finish in seventh overall.
In the women’s Radial the overnight leader, Svenja Weger of Germany had a nightmare day, a 23 and 29 dropping her to eighth overall, while Line Flem Høst of Norway took over the lead with a 1 and 3 and Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece with a 6 and 1, moved into second.
Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom stayed in the top three and defending champion Marit Bouwmeester of Holland recovered to fifth with a 7, 2, to get back on track.
Weather and the presence (or not) of Tropical storm Nepartak will no doubt be a factor in Tuesday’s racing.
Nepartak is expected to bring heavy rain, accompanied by thunder, in the Tokyo area, with possible wind speeds of 72 to 86 kilometers per hour (Gale force 8 ) and rough seas on Tuesday.
Tuesday will also see the ‘grand-old-man’ of Olympic sailing, the Finn class, together with the men’s 49er and women’s 49erFX skiffs, join the Laser and Radial, while the two RS:X classes take a lay-day.
Related Post:
Tokyo 2020 Games – Olympic Sailing Day 2 – Wilson leads RS:X
