Published: 09:55 EDT, August 7, 2024 | Updated: 10:22 EDT, August 7, 2024
Olympic sailing events have been called off due to low winds, the latest in a series of races called off due to adverse conditions.
This comes after the dramatic cancellation of the men’s boat medal race last week, Team GBJames Peters and Fynn Sterritt in action before the event was abandoned off the coast of Marseille.
This time, however, in the men’s dinghy race, Great Britain’s Micky Beckett produced a seaworthy performance to claim the silver medal as he approached the third buoy.
However, despite his magnificent efforts to get on the podium, Beckett will now have to do it all over again after the race was cancelled.
The race resumed less than an hour later once the weather had improved, and after the first point he was in sixth position, giving him fourth overall.
The Olympic medal competition was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Micky Beckett stormed into silver medal position before wind died in Marseille
Beckett’s race was temporarily suspended but resumed about an hour later
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To get back into the medal fight, Beckett needs to overtake Peruvian Stefano Pechiera in the overall standings, taking the bronze medal in a double-point race.
Wind has been a constant problem this year Olympics in Marseille and threatened another strike before the race even started, but eventually went ahead.
The start, however, was such that after losing the leaders, Beckett managed to break through into the competition and reach second position before the wind died down.
Penalties handed out to his rivals Pavlos Kontides (Cyprus) and Peschiera at the start allowed him to move up in the classification.
The race had already been postponed to Wednesday following an earlier disruption on Tuesday – also due to weather.
Because sailing events naturally depend on the wind to take place, competitors are at risk of having their races abandoned, although as experienced sailors, such eventualities are familiar to them.
Before the race, Australian Matt Wearn, the reigning Olympic champion, was in the lead with a 14-point advantage over Kontides.
The Cypriot is the only sailor who has actually managed to catch up with the Australian, although that could be to Wearn’s advantage.
This comes after the men’s boat medal race was temporarily cancelled last Thursday.
“I’m in a tough spot now. Matt can only lose the gold medal to me, so he can tie me and take us both to the back of the fleet, and for me that opens the door to third and fourth,” Kontides, a 2012 silver medalist, told Reuters.
“I have to get out there and do everything I can to keep the door open for the people in third and fourth. If there’s a chance to attack and get the gold, I’ll do it,” said 2012 silver medalist Kontides, who is competing in his fifth Games.
