| ATHENS, GREECE-(26-8-2003) Going into the final few days of the Pre-Olympic Test
Event, Team GBR sailors are currently lying in medal positions in four
classes. Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie is sitting in first place in the
Finn class, fellow Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson and crew of
Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton are second in the Yngling, Nick Rogers and Joe
Glanfield are second in the 470 and Paul Bortherton and Mark Asquith are in
bronze medal position in the 49er class.
After a postponement waiting for the wind to materialise, the sailors
eventually left the Olympic Sailing Centre and enjoyed racing in one of the
best breezes that they have had all week. In these conditions Ben Ainslie
scored a third and a fifth place in the Finn class, which saw him hang on to
a fourteen-point lead over the 1996 Olympic gold medallist Mateusz
Kusznierewicz of Poland with Rafael Trujillo of Spain in third.
It was a good day in the 470 classes, with both the British men and women
putting in sound results to move up in the overall scores. Nick Rogers and
Joe Glanfield posted two results in the top ten to move up into silver medal
position with one race to go. Johan Molund and Martin Andersson of Sweden
currently lead the class going into the final day of racing.
Glanfield commented, `We definitely want a medal here and certainly don't
want to come fourth! I think those that are saying that it is a practice
event are those that are not going so well. The last Pre-Olympics before
Sydney was fairly representative and we were fourth then and finished fourth
at the Olympic Games, so we would definitely like a medal here.
Fellow British 470 sailors Christina Bassadone and Katherine Hopson also
sailed well, finishing the day with a third and seventh which saw them move
up into fifth place with a day to go.
In the 49er class, Team GBR sailors Paul Brotherton and Mark Asquith were
back on pace, scoring two third places and an eighth, which pushed them up
into third place overall with two race days to go.
Brotherton said, `We are chuffed to bits with our performance today. It was
a consistent day and there were no big surprises in the breeze. We now have
four races to go and this is the busiest time of the regatta, we have laid
the foundations and now we can afford to sail with a little bit of freedom.`
In the Laser class Team GBR sailor Paul Goodison has decided, along with his
coach and the Olympic Manager, to pull out of the regatta and return to
Great Britain. Goodison is fatigued after continuous training abroad and has
returned home in order to get some crucial rest before the all-important
ISAF World Sailing Championships in Cadiz next month, which forms part of
the RYA Olympic Selection Process.
If the racing stays to schedule, tomorrow should see the final day of racing
for the Star, Yngling, Finn and 470 classes, with the rest of the classes
scheduled to conclude on the 28 August.
| 
