RS-X Worlds - Battle for Olympic qualification spots continues + Video

by Rory Ramsden on 26 Mar 2012 At the 2012 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships, there was a break from normal practice in which the RS:X men's gold fleet was accompanied by their compadres in the silver fleet for the first day of the final series. It was Przemyslaw Miarczynski [POL] who was the most consistent posting 1-2-5 to move up the rankings to take over sixth spot overall.

But tonight it is Dorian van Rijsselberge [NED] who is number one with Julien Bontemps [FRA] in second and Byron Kokalanis [GRE] in third. These three excelled in the ballistic winds on the Bay of Cadiz. Gusting into the mid 30s, racing today was a test of will power and determination not to mention supreme sailing skills in the tight slalom end section of the course before the finish.

Alessandra Sensini [ITA] reveled in the conditions with a 2-3-1 almost matching Lee Korzits [ISR] who is the clear leader as I write with a 1-1-2. But, there was an incident on the last downwind of the last race today [seventh overall] as they fought side by side for the lead. We wait on the jury's decision. Meanwhile Zofia Klepacka [POL] is well placed in second.

Let's take a look the battle for Olympic qualification places. Some are already guaranteed. Lilian de Geus [NED] and Farrah Hall [USA] qualified for the women's gold fleet. They cannot fall back into the silver fleet now so they can focus on each other.

Below 14 countries are fighting for five places. Jazmin Lopez [ARG], Tatiana Bazyuk [RUS], Ingrid Puusta [EST], Tansai Napali [THA] look fairly safe with Tansai having a 14 point lead over Carolina Mendelblatt [POR]. She is threatened by Anastasiya Valkevich [BLR] and Demita Vega de Lille [MEX] who could yet upset her Olympic dreams.

Over in the men's fleet, there are five qualifying countries who are 'safe' in the gold fleet. They are BLR, BUL, THA, COL, and CZE. Then there is another group at the top of the silver fleet including VEN, EST, DEN and TPE who currently occupy Q places.

They are far from 'safe' Patrik Pollak [SVK] is one point off the back of this group with Oka Sulaksana [INA] with striking distance too. He won a race at the Sydney Olympics and is nurturing a new generation of Indonesian windsurfers by developing a fleet of young sailors on the Techno 293.

There are another nine countries [EGY, DEN, LAT, SWE, SLO, PER, CUB, BER and MKD] who live in hope but must be surely praying for the winds to moderate so the survival conditions are transformed into something more race-able.

Men Top Five

1. NED8 Dorian van Rijsselberge 18.0
2. FRA6 Julien Bontemps 19.0
3. GRE8 Byron Kokalanis 20.0
4. GBR1 Nick Dempsey 20.0
5. NZL151 JP Tobin 23.0

Women Top Five

1. ISR1111 Lee Korzits 8.0
2. POL8 Zofia Klepacka 12.0
3. ITA 25 Alessandra Sensini 24.0
4. POL7 Maja Dziarnowska 26.0
5. ESP1 Blanca Manchon Dominguez 32.0
RS:X Women: National Olympic Q Places

[Seven countries to qualify]

1 NED 111
2 USA 154
3 ARG 58
4 RUS 79
5 EST 85
6 THA 87
7 POR 101
8 BLR 109
9 MEX 116
10 DEN 122
11 CYP 127
12 SIN 145
13 SLO 178
14 SWE 181
15 AHO 203
16 INA 203

RS:X Men: National Olympic Q Places [Nine countries to qualify]

1 BLR 151
2 BUL 191
3 THA 205
4 COL 230
5 CZE 234
6 VEN 98
7 EST 99
8 DEN 106
9 TPE 125
10 SVK 126
11 INA 159
12 EGY 173
13 LAT 184
14 SIN 196
15 SWE 203
16 SLO 210
17 BER 219
18 PER 228
19 CUB 262
20 MKD 305

RS:X Worlds website