19.07.2008
Record Breaking Day At Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship
Århus, Denmark 18 July, 2008 Great Britain topped the medal table as the podium positions were decided on the final day of racing at the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Århus, Denmark.
On the final day of the 38th championship all the medal positions bar the Boy¹s 29er fleet reindexed the same from yesterday¹s leaderboard. Argentines Germán Billoch and Gastón Cheb Terrab clinched a win in the last race of the series pushing the American¹s Judge Ryan and Hans Hensen into bronze position.
An elated Terrab explained, ³I am really, really happy to get a silver medal here. We had a bad start but we took the right hand side and had great speed. We kept looking for the gusts and when we tacked over we were in front of everyone, including the British boys. We always had speed today and just indextained our lead. USA got a sixth in the race which was enough for us to jump up.²
The GBR boys James Peters and Edward Fitzgerald posted a fourth today but after the disqualification of the Americans from one of yesterday¹s race they were never going to be caught. A delighted Peters said, ³³It¹s a dream come true really. It¹s just so good that all the hard work we put in and all the hours in January in the freezing cold have finally paid off. It¹s just great that we could make it count in this event.²
Fitzgerald added, ³When I started sailing with James, ever since then everything¹s been towards it [winning the Youth Worlds], so I can¹t really believe it yet.²
The Volvo Trophy went to Britain but the fight for second place was a close fought one with New Zealand pipping Australia to the post with only two points separating them. ³To come out here and win two gold medals, a bronze medal, win the Volvo Trophy and to also finish topping the medal table, we¹ve got to be pleased with that,² said Simon Wergen, RYA Youth Racing Manager. He explained that teamwork was key to the British success, ³We have really sailed as a team here and when people have needed to post results to score us points in the Volvo Trophy standings, they went out and did it.²
Fotos: onEdition
Helping Britain to win the Volvo trophy was the Girl¹s 29er team of Frances Peters and Claire Lasko who came second in today¹s race and were very pleased with their consistency throughout the event. Peters commented, ³We are the most pleased about this win than any other competition and winning the Volvo Trophy for the GBR Team is a bonus.²
Dutch team Annemiek Bekkering and Jeske Kisters pushed the Brits the whole way through the series to win the silver medal with Hannah Nattrass and Michelle Muller of Australia winning their second consecutive bronze medal.
In the SL16 fleet the focus was on the battle for silver and bronze after French brothers Valentin and Roindex Bellet had secured overall victory yesterday. The Australian team of Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin were fast starters and lead around the course to score their first bullet of the championship and move up to sixth place overall. Of the four teams who had a shot at a medal, Singapore put in the best performance with a second place but it was not quite enough. The young South African team of helm Matthew Whitehead, aged 14, and crew Michael Ovenstone, aged 17, scored their worst result of the regatta with a tenth place finish, but crucially their closest challengers for second place overall, the British team of James Ellis and Andrew Glover were only one place ahead. This gave Whitehead and Ovenstone the silver medal, whilst Ellis and Glover won bronze on countback from Singaporeans Wen Chun Low and Jonathan Russel Wei Xiang Chew.
Although narrowly missing out on the medals, the Singapore team will not leave Århus empty handed. They won the Bengt Julin Trophy for Sportsmanship, re-introduced at this year¹s championship and voted for by other teams and competitors. The team won this for their friendly attitude and helpful manner with everyone at the championships, especially the Athlete Participation Programme (APP) sailors.
Team Cyprus has only three competitors in the championships, making their two gold medals, one by Pavlos Kontides in the Laser and the other in the Boy¹s RS:X fleet by Michalis Malekkides, even more impressive. Kontides won his last race and straight after praised his team for doing so well. ³I can¹t believe that we won two gold medals it is great for a country as small as mine that we have two World Champions at this event. I hope this makes more people start sailing at home. It still hasn¹t sunk in yet and I can¹t believe I have won two golds.²
Luke Lawrence (USA) did not sail today knowing he had done enough to secure silver yesterday from New Zealander Sam Meech in bronze position. Århus local Thorbjoern Schierup pushed himself to the limit to try and catch Meech but later admitted that he went too far and got a yellow flag for an incident in the only race of the day.
In the Laser Radial fleet Gabrielle King (AUS) still went out today to try and retain Team Australians position in the Volvo Trophy standings and won her race but unfortunately it was not enough to secure a second for them. Susana Romero of Spain posted a third in the last race which won her the silver medal with New Zealand¹s Cushla Hume-Merry in bronze position.
There was no change at the top of the Girl¹s RS:X with Polish windsurfer Maja Dziarnowska posting a first today and Patricia Freitas (BRA) close behind her in second, but this was not enough for the Brazilian to steal silver from her. Laura Linares (ITA) said her third gold medal win had still not sunk in, ³I still can¹t believe it, it is wonderful!²
Cypriot Michalis Malekkides in the RS:X was beaten by both the Greek Thiseas Kampas and German competitor, Oliver-Tom Schliemann today but it did not change his gold medallist position. Kampas retained his silver medal while Schliemann, despite winning the race had to settle for bronze.
The competitors will be awarded their medals and trophies at the Musikhuset in Århus tonight, bringing the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships to a close. Next year¹s event will be held in Buzios, Brazil on 9-18 July 2009.
For overall results please go to: http://www.youthworlds2008.org/Results.aspx
ISAF Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship microsite: www.sailing.org/youthworlds.
To watch the daily video podcast follow the below instructions: In iTunes go to the Advanced > Subscribe to podcast Enter in the following url: www.appftp.com/podcasts/volvoisafyouthworlds2008.xml
Ende
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Fotos: onEdition
Abschlußfoto der Volvo Youth Sailing
Abschlußfoto der Volvo Youth Sailing
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