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- “It was an emotional roller coaster,” said Isaac McHardie of New Zealand
- The men’s team from Spain and the women’s team from France were in the lead after 12 regattas since Sunday
MARSEILLE, France: The first medal races for sailing at the Paris Olympics were postponed on Thursday because of a lack of wind, leaving athletes broiling in the heat on the water for more than two hours before sending them back to the marina in Marseille.
“It was an emotional roller coaster,” said Isaac McHardie of New Zealand, which was third entering the medal race for the men’s skiffs called 49ers. He added that the heat was so intense he and boatmate Will McKenzie started running out of drinking water and ice while waiting.
Both the men’s and women’s skiffs, known as 49erFX — powerful, bird-like two-person boats — were scheduled to hold their finals Thursday, but they were called off after 5 p.m. local time.
The men’s team from Spain and the women’s team from France were in the lead after 12 regattas since Sunday, but no team started the day with a clear grasp on the podium.
Instead of a thrilling neck-and-neck competition among the top sailors, the men started the regattas twice before the wind dropped so low that the races were scrapped by officials. The women were out on the water too, for about an hour, but their race didn’t even start.
All waited in the water in their protective gear under a punishing sun with temperatures pushing 35 degrees Celsius (low 90s).
“We have always known that you can get a day like this,” said Spain’s Diego Botín, who is sailing in his third Olympics. He said that with crew Florian Trittel, they concentrated on “not wasting too much emotional energy” during the long wait.
“We’re used to setbacks,” added Sean Waddilove of Ireland, which was placed second in the men’s start list.
Not so much the fans, who sweltered on a shadeless breakwater most of the afternoon. Among them were the families of France’s Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon, who were first on the women’s start list.
“So exciting and so nervous and so anxious,” is how Steyaert’s father, Patrick Steyaert, summed up the wait, while Sarah’s 5-year-old daughter threw herself into her mother’s arms, weeping.
There’s no word on when the races might be rescheduled.