- Dampens for German Olympic sailors
The German sailors experienced a disappointing day at the Olympic sailing regatta in the Bay of Marseille. Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer, bronze medal winners in Enoshima three years ago, started the Nacra-17 catamaran series in 18th place. The Kiel duo had bad luck, incurring a penalty, a capsize, and a breakage of the rudder extension, but managed to fight back to seventh place over three races.
Ilca-7 sailor Philipp Buhl dropped to 14th place. "It's painful when it goes wrong in conditions you're looking forward to and are particularly good at," said the Sonthofen native, aiming for his first medal in his third Olympic appearance. "The medal is still not out of reach, but it's quite far," the 34-year-old said after six of ten races leading up to the final.
Both Buhl and 470 women's crew Anna Markfort struggled with difficult-to-read wind. "It was like solving a crossword puzzle. Only there were no answers," said the Kiel native. Her team with skipper Simon Diesch (Deggerhausertal) dropped to ninth place. Ilca-6 sailor Julia Bußelberg fell to 20th place in the overall ranking.
The German sailing team, despite several setbacks, is hopeful that The Commission's final decisions will allow some adjustments, potentially improving their chances in the remaining races. Despite their current positions, both Philipp Buhl and Anna Markfort believe that with improved wind conditions and potential rule changes, there's still a chance to secure a medal.
