SCOOP Olympic Update, Friday, 22 Sept, 2000

SCOOP Olympic Update, Friday, 22 Sept, 2000
Article: Mathew Loh

NEW ZEALAND'S horror Olympic's took a turn for the better yesterday when our sailors maintained their world class form during the cut-throat chase for medals on the waters of Sydney's magnificent harbour.

Board-sailing heroine Barbara Kendall again led the way with a gem of a sail to win the eighth race to leave her in third place and putting pressure on her rivals Germany's Amelie Lux in 1st place and Alessandra Sensini of Italy in second.

Only three points seperates these three superb board-sailors and the margin back to fourth, fifth and sixth - held by Atlanta gold medalist Lee Lai Shan of Hong Kong - is such that bar major mishaps and/or injury it appears certain that Lux, Sensini and Kendall each have a medal in the bank and three more races to determine which medal goes to who.

In the men's mistral boardsailing Thursday saw only a single race but it enough to raise a cheer from New Zealand supporters as Aaron McIntosh put in his best effort of the regatta to street his opponents in an easy win that leaves him in third place after seven races.

McIntosh will be hugely encouraged by his sail on Thursday and is sure to chase his rivals, Argentina's Carlos Espinola and Austrian Cristoph Sieber, extremely hard in what bodes as an extremely exciting race for gold.

New Zealand's women's 470 crew, Melinda Henshaw and Jenny Egnot are also in sensational sailing form and judged Thursday's second race to perfection to record a crucial win to leave them in a powerful 2nd place, only three points behind Germany, after four races.

Chris Dickson and Glen Sowry also joined the club of winning Kiwi sailors on Thursday when they won the Open Tornado class' second race of the day to leave them in fifth place overall.

Having Dickson in such a position is good news for NZ as everyone in yachting circles knows such is his skill and competitiveness that having him and his crew chasing you down from behind is not a pleasent situation to be in.

In other yachting news Nathan Handley and Daniel Slater in the 49er class are 10th after recording a 7th, 5th and 12th on a busy day's racing.

Men's 470 crew Peter Nicolas and Simon Cooke are 8th after finishing 9th and 12th yesterday while in the Laser Class Peter Fox is in 24th place while the baby of the Kiwi sailing crews Sarah Macky recorded a disappointing 14th and 16th to lie in ninth place after four races.

At the velodrome New Zealand cyclists Anthony Peden and Matthew Sinton both rode impressively but were outclassed by the high class opposition and failed to proceed past the repechage round of the Kerin race.

Sarah Ulmer also rode on Thursday and underlined her potential with a fine effort to come eighth in the women's points race.

New Zealand also featured on the mat yesterday with 100kg judoka Dan Gowing impressing in a win over Luis Lopex of Venezuela and then in loss against eventual gold medalist Kosei Inoue of Japan.

Unfortunately for Gowing he faced a tough repechage bout after matching up to the classy Japanese fighter and he was knocked out by Cuban judoka Yosvai Kessel.

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