MISTRAL BATTLE FOR GOLD INTENSIFIES

by Isabelle Musy on 22 Sep 2000 The battle for gold will intensify today as the Women's Mistral fleet will sail the second last two races of these Sydney 2000 Oylmpics Games.

German Amelie Lux will have to hold on to her very narrow lead over current World Champion Italian Alessandra Sensini and the Gold Medal winner in Barcelona Kiwi Barbara Kendall.

The trio have broken so much away from the rest of the fleet that now it's only a matter of which of them will receive the precious gold.
If the sea breeze builds a bit more, it could favour Sensini or Kendall as Lux 's best performance seems to happen more likely in light air. According to the weather forecast, Sydney Harbour should only offer a weak southwest sea breeze turning around to northeast later on.

In the men's fleet, current leader Austrian Christoph Sieber is only 4 points ahead of Argentina's Carlos Espinola. The latter will have to watch World Ranked 2nd Kiwi Aaron McIntosh who brilliantly snatched victory yesterday of the only race of the day.

Australia's Lars Kleppish, current World Ranked 1st, has strongly weakened his chance of medal with a bad result in yesterday's race.



WOMEN'S PROGRESSIVE RESULTS: 1. GER 12 PTS, 2. ITA
13 PTS, 3. NZL 15 PTS, USA 44 PTS, 5. CHHN 48 PTS, 6. HKG 50 PTS, 7. POL 56 PTS, 8. AUS. 57 PTS, 9. ESP 60 PTS, 10. JPN 63 PTS.

MEN'S PROGRESSIVE RESULTS AFTER 7 RACES AND ONE DISCARD: 1.AUT 22 PTS, 2. ARG 26 PTS, 3. NZL 36 PTS, 4. GRE 41 PTS, 5. GER 46 PTS, 6. AUS 52 PTS, 7. GRE 41 PTS, 8. FRA 56 PTS, 9. USA 58 PTS, 10. BRA 60 PTS.