Olympic effect on ISAF Sailing Rankings

by Media on 5 Sep 2008
Following the 2008 Olympics there have been some obvious changes in the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings. With the results of the participating sailors included, Paul Goodison reclaims the top spot in the Laser, after winning Olympic gold in Qingdao and in the Women’s 470 rranking, Italians Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol are back in the top spot.

Of the 11 crews who held world #1 rankings going into the Games, five won medals, including gold medals for Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA in the Laser Radial, Australians Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page in the Men’s 470 and Britain´s trio in the Yngling.

Britain´s overwhelming success at the Games is still not fully reflected in the rankings due to the linmited number of appearances made by some of their star names, which has cost them ranking points but did nothing to halt their success in Qingdao. Ben Ainslie for example, moves up 15 places after his third consecutive Olympic gold medal, but from a low position as he has only sailed sufficiant Finn events to defend major titles and qualify for Team GBR.

Silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield are up to number two in the Men´s 470 behind the Australian gold medallists Nathan Wilmot and and Malcolm Page.

But, in the Star Rankings, Olympic Champions Iain Percy and and Andrew Simpson only gain one place for their gold, up to number 11, with their world ranking still hampered by their 52nd place finish at this year’s Star Worlds, while rivals Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada of Brazil move up four places to the number two spot.

Spain, which won one gold and one silver medal in Qingdao, is tied with Great Britain as the second-best nation in the overall rankings, with two number one and two number two positions.

Poland drop back from second to fourth in the national standings after failing to deliver any medals in China, despite having what was probably their strongest-ever Olympic sailing team. Italy, winners of one silver and one bronze medal at the Games, complete the top five in the national standings.

ISAF World Ranking Leaders

Heavyweight Dinghy - Finn Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN)
Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)
Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser Paul Goodison (GBR)
Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470 Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (AUS)
Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470 Giulia Conti and Giovanna Micol (ITA)
Skiff - 49er Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez (ESP)
Men's Keelboat - Star Mateusz Kusnierewicz and Dominik Zycxi (POL)
Women's Keelboat - Yngling Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (GBR)
Multihull - Tornado Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby (AUS)
Men's Windsurfer - RS:X Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL)
Women's Windsurfer - RS:X Marina Alabau (ESP)

The next release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings will next be on 15 October 2008.