Worlds Olympic classes, only one medal for the Azzurri

One rainbow medal and seven out of ten classes qualified for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro: this is the final tally of the Italian Team at the ISAF World Championships of Olympic Classes, the most important sailing event of the year that ended today in Santander after ten, intense days of racing involving more than 1,250 sailors from around the world. The last day had its climax in the victory of the bronze medal by the crew formed by Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich in the 49er FX class, a very important result already celebrated yesterday with a day in advance by the two azure women members respectively of Circolo Canottieri Aniene and the Aeronautica Militare Sports Group, as well as by the Federal Reference Coach Gianfranco Sibello, to which must be added the conquest of the Olympic pass in seven out of ten classes (Laser Standard, Laser Radial, 49er, RS:X men’s, RS:X women’s and, of course, Nacra 17 and 49er FX), the primary goal of this trip to Santander. No medal instead for Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri, who finish today’s Medal race in seventh place and climb from second to fourth in the final Nacra 17 ranking, after fighting for a place on the podium all week.

49ER FX
Italy’s Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich, already with the bronze medal in their pockets on the eve of this final act, finish the Medal in seventh place, a result that is worth third place in the final standings. A wonderful bronze, which came after a fourth-place finish at last year’s World Championships and a troubled season marked by injuries suffered first by Conti and then, in July, by Clapcich. In the lead, however, all sorts of things happen, and in the end Brazil’s Grael-Soffiatti finished third, ahead of Denmark’s Baad Nielsen-Thusgaard Olsen at the finish line. The two crews finished the World Championship on equal points, but the gold medal went to Carioca, thanks to the best finish in the Medal.

NACRA 17
Bitter medal race for Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri, who finish the race reserved for the top ten of the fleet (double points) in seventh place and are overtaken in the standings by Argentines Lange-Carranza Saroli, silver medalists, and Australians Waterhouse-Darmanin, bronze medalists. Bissaro-Sicouri are fourth, just three points off the podium, while the gold, already from yesterday, goes to the French Besson-Riou; sixth place finish instead for the Medal winners, the Swiss Buhler-Brugger.

FINN
Giles Scott, already a gold winner a day early, was fourth in the medal race won by Croatian Gaspic, an argent medalist. Instead, bronze went to fellow Briton Edward Wright, who managed to mock Frenchman Lobert, who collapsed in the very final race of the series.

49ER
The young and phenomenal New Zealanders Burling-Tuke take to the water in the Medal race with the gold medal already around their necks, a result that does not, however, prevent them from also winning the last act of these literally Kiwi-dominated World Championships. Silver goes to Danes Warrer-Thomsen, bronze to Australians Outteridge-Jensen. For Italy, some regret because of the Medal that escaped by a whisker to the Italians Stefano Cherin and Andrea Tesei (12th), but the satisfaction of having qualified the nation for the Rio 2016 Games and having placed as many as four crews in the top 23 of the fleet.

THE PROTAGONISTS.
Giulia Conti (bronze medalist in 49er FX): “I am overjoyed: today we went into the water with a lot of serenity, with the knowledge that nothing would change, so we tried to have as much fun as possible. There were so many people in the stands cheering, even for us, it was beautiful. Now I want to go home with this medal around my neck, relax for a moment and then start racing again right away, in better shape than ever.”
Francesca Clapcich (bronze medalist in 49er FX)
“It’s a medal we really needed after the fourth place at last year’s World Championships and after all the problems we faced this year. Two months ago we were doing well at the European Championships, then came the injury to my ankle, which was so serious that I even had doubts about my participation in these World Championships: to be there and to have won a medal, well, it’s priceless.”
Vittorio Bissaro (Nacra 17)
“We have had a very good season, we have always been on the podium this year, but I don’t like to look back too much: the World Championship was the most important goal of the year and unfortunately we failed it. Clearly we are not happy, because we know we made mistakes and paid dearly for them.”