470 pair far ahead of rivals
One day before the end of the Athens 2002 Regatta in Aghios Cosmas, southern Athens, an Olympic test event for the Olympic sailing event at the Athens Olympics in two years, the Greek pair of Sophia Becatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa have already sealed top spot in the women’s 470 class. The pair – who entered yesterday’s second to last day of competition with three successive victories, and four in total – took 11th, eighth and fifth places respectively in three races completed. It was enough to maintain the gap separating them from the second-placed French pair of Anne-Claire La Berre and Marie Riou. Their poor showing yesterday – sixth, 18th, and 18th – took them to 68 penalty points. Becatorou and Tsoulfa are now with 36 penalty points. Placings in each heat are credited to each competitor’s overall tally, meaning that higher placings provide fewer penalty points. With top spot already guaranteed at the Olympic test event, the first to be held, Becatorou and Tsoulfa have their minds focused on the upcoming 470 World Championships in Sardinia, to be held between September 1 and 11. The Greek pair will be going to that event in commanding fashion. Last year Becatorou and Tsoulfa won both the European and World Championships. They are currently ranked first in the world. Windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis, a gold medalist at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, has also guaranteed top spot in the men’s Mistral category. Kaklamanakis has windsurfed steadily with two race victories and a ninth placing as his worst performance at this test event. In two races completed yesterday, Kaklamanakis ended fifth on both occasions, bringing his overall tally to 32 penalty points. His closest rival, New Zealand’s James Wells, has 49 points. The men’s 470 class finds the Swedish team of Johan Molund and Martin Andersson in first place. «We’re here to study the waters and are preparing for the Olympics for which we want to hit peak form,» the Swedes remarked. British sailing phenomenon Ben Ainslie, who won a Laser-class gold medal in the Sydney Olympics, is continuing his reign in the Finn category. With four wins and three second-placings at the test event, he has emerged as an early favorite for a gold in 2004. A total of 27 races were held yesterday in the test event’s 10 categories. An 11th Olympic sailing category, the Star class, was canceled as top representatives of the category were drawn to Los Angeles for the city’s coinciding World Championships.
