Australia's Day In Qingdao ...

The two Australian 470 crews celebrating gold today were also joined by Denmark’s Jonas WARRER and Martin IBSEN (DEN). The Danes gold medal success following yesterday’s incredible 49er Medal Race was confirmed when the International Jury dismissed a protest against them for sailing the Medal Race in another team’s boat.
View the Medal Tally of the sailing events at the 2008 Olympic Games here.

After Great Britain won gold in both Yngling and Finn Medal Races yesterday in typically windy and wet British weather, today sunshine and bright skies set the scene for a day of Australian success. On the outer courses the fleets got off to an early start to make the most of the breezier conditions this morning whilst on course area A the wind held and northwesterly breeze around 8-9 knots provided excellent conditions for the two 470 Medal Races.

Nathan WILMOT and Malcolm PAGE (AUS) had already secured the gold medal in the Men’s Two Person Dinghy event and brought their 470 careers to an end in fine style by winning today’s Medal Race. In a close three-way battle for the remaining medals Great Britain’s Nick ROGERS and Joe GLANFIELD won silver with the French team of Nicolas CHARBONNIER and Olivier BAUSSET claiming gold.

Elise RECHICHI and Tessa PARKINSON (AUS) went into the Women's 470 Medal Race with Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT (NED) their only rivals for gold and the young Aussies swiftly snuffed out any hope the Dutch had of knocking them off the top step of the podium. Their victory gave the Aussies a second gold medal of the day, with the Dutch taking silver and Medal Race winners, Fernanda OLIVEIRA and Isabel SWAN from Brazil securing the bronze medal.

Tomorrow on the course area A is the focus will be on the two One Person Dinghy events with the Laser and Laser Radial Medal Races. Racing further out on Fushan Bay and starting earlier in the morning, the Laser fleets both completed three races today in a breeze which started around 15 knots and gradually dropped during the day down to 8 knots. Paul GOODISON (GBR) had a stellar day in the Laser fleet to take an 18-point lead into the Medal Race putting him within touching distance of Great Britain’s third gold medal of this Olympic Sailing Competition. The battle for gold is much closer in the Radial fleet, with world #1 Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA) seven points ahead of Lithuania’s Gintare VOLUNGEVICIUTE and China’s Lijia XU four points further back in third.

In the windsurfer fleets the reigning World Champions in both men’s and women’s fleets now top the overall leaderboards. Tom ASHLEY (NZL) holds a three-point advantage over Athens bronze medallist Nick DEMPSEY (GBR) in the Men’s RS:X fleet, whilst Alessandra SENSINI (ITA) has edged ahead of Jian YIN (CHN) in the women’s. Both RS:X fleets have the final race of the Opening Series scheduled for 11:00 tomorrow morning.

It was a busy day for the Star and Tornado fleets with both completing three races, again in winds that gradually decreased through the day. Fernando ECHAVARRI and Anton PAZ (ESP) and Darren BUNDOCK and Glenn ASHBY (AUS) now tie for the lead in the Tornado fleet, whilst Fredrik LOOF and Anders EKSTROM (SWE) are back on top of the Stars, two points ahead of Iain PERCY and Andrew SIMPSON (GBR). With three races of the Opening Series remaining and just 15 points separating first to eighth, racing in the Star fleet looks set to go right down to the wire.