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Sunday, September 24
Madrigali eliminated after 4 losses
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- The strongest winds yet in the Olympics
ended up blowing U.S. Soling skipper Jeff Madrigali right out of
the regatta.
Madrigali, the 1996 bronze medalist and reigning world champion,
won just one of five match races Sunday and
was eliminated on a blustery day on Sydney Harbor.
By the time he got back into the Rushcutters Bay marina,
Madrigali's mood was as gray as the sky over downtown.
"I think we sailed very badly," said Madrigali, who was
sailing with a new crew this time in an attempt to improve on his
third-place at the 1996 Games. "It's a high caliber of sailing out
there and you have to be on your best game and we didn't sail our
best."
Madrigali didn't offer a reason why the crew sailed so poorly,
although the Soling fleet is loaded with former medalists.
"It wasn't our turn today," Madrigali said.
With winds gusting to 15 knots and kicking up a chop not far
from Sydney Opera House, Madrigali kept his tiny hopes alive by
beating three-time gold medalist Jochen Schuemann of Germany in the
fourth race, leading at every turning mark.
Madrigali, of Novato, Calif., then took the lead over Georgy
Shayduko at the start of the fifth race. But the Russian, a silver
medalist in 1996, gained from a wind shift and opened a huge lead
rounding the first mark. Madrigali was not able to close the gap.
Beaten by progressively bigger margins in his first three match
races, Madrigali took the lead over Schuemann at the start of the
fourth race. He had a four-length lead heading into the first
downwind mark when he forced Schuemann into a luff. As Schuemann
had trouble controlling his boat, Madrigali headed to the mark.
In the first race, Madrigali was edged by Australia's Neville
Wittey. Cheered on by fellow Aussies on shore and in spectator
boats, Wittey led at all five turning marks on the windward-leeward
course and beat Madrigali by less than a boat length.
Madrigali then lost to Denmark's Jesper Bank, the 1992 gold
medalist and '88 bronze medalist. With the course shortened to two
windward-leeward laps, Bank led at all three marks and won by about
six lengths.
Madrigali followed with a loss to Sweden's Hans Wallen, the 1996
silver medalist in the Star class.
Denmark, Germany and Russia will move on to face Norway, the
Netherlands and New Zealand in the quarterfinals. The medals will
be decided next weekend.
Watching from the U.S. chase boat on the rough afternoon was
Russell Coutts, who skippered New Zealand to two straight sweeps in
the America's Cup. Coutts served as Madrigali's coach and tuning
partner. Coutts, who recently accepted a big-money offer to skipper
a Swiss boat in the next America's Cup, won an Olympic gold medal
in the Finn class in 1984.
Madrigali's new crewmembers in the 26-foot boat for this
Olympics were Craig Healy of Tiburon, Calif., and Hartwell Jordan
of Discovery Bay, Calif. Healy's wife, Pam, won a bronze medal in
the 470 class in 1992.
The two U.S. 470 skippers dropped in the standings with three
races to go.
Paul Foerster of Rockwall, Texas, fell from first to third after
finishing sixth and 12th. The 12th is his worst score to date and
will be tossed out.
J.J. Isler of San Diego slipped from fifth to sixth in the
women's 470 after finishing ninth and 10th.
Italy's Alessandra Sensini won the women's windsurfing gold
medal and Austria's Christoph Sieber won the men's gold.
Sensini won the 11th and final fleet race by seven seconds over
Amelie Lux of Germany. Sensini and Lux tied with 15 points, but
Sensini won the gold medal based on five fleet-race victories to
three for Lux. Sensini won the bronze medal in 1996.
New Zealand's Barbara Kendall won the bronze, completing a set
of Olympic medals. She won the gold in 1992 and silver in 1996.
Sensini, Lux and Kendall combined to win all 11 races. Lanee
Butler of Aliso Viejo, Calif., was fourth, her best finish in three
Olympics.
Mike Gebhardt of Fort Pierce, Fla., a former silver and bronze
medalist, finished 11th in the men's windsurfing.
Also Sunday, Roland Gaebler and Rene Schwall of Germany won the
bronze medal in the Tornado class. The gold and silver were decided
earlier.
The American crew, John Lovell of New Orleans and Charlie
Ogletree of Newport Beach, Calif., finished seventh.
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