Disappointing end for the German team
Both in the 2.4 mR and in the Sonar class, the German disabled sailors had to be content with the thankless fourth place. In neither of the two disciplines did the top favorite athletes manage to meet the high expectations.
The gold medal winners at the Paralympic sailing competitions are Damien Seguin from France in the 2.4 single-handed sailors and Dror Cohen from Israel with his two masts Arnon Efrati and Benni Vexler in the three-man keelboat Sonar.
Heiko Kröger from Kiel managed to win the day at the end of yesterday's ninth and final race. Nevertheless, six points separated him from third-placed Thierry Schmitter from the Netherlands. As in the days before, the wind conditions were very light with breezes around 6 knots.
Award ceremony: Damien Seguin
Jens Kroker from Berlin-Grünau and his crew had counted on every chance of bronze before the last race, as they had been in third place until then. In the all-important final run, however, they only managed to place ninth. With that they scratched the precious metal by one point.
Award ceremony: Cohen crew
The Frenchman Seguin has big plans for the future after his victory in Athens. He said: "I am very happy to have won my first medal at the Paralympics. I worked hard for three years. It was worth it. My next goal, however, is the 2008 Olympic goals. Class. " The American John-Ross Duggan said at the end of the close decision in the sonar field between his and the German team for bronze: "The Germans beat us by six seconds in the last race, but we are one point ahead of them in the final accounts is that in sport, even if I would prefer to share the medal with Jens Kroker and his crew. Maybe we should just give them half of the medal. "
The final results at a glance:
2.4mR:
1. SEGUIN, Damien (FRA), 1 1 4 5 1 (6) 3 2 4, 21 points 2. BROWN, Thomas (USA), 4 2 1 1 5 5 1 3 (10), 22 points3. SCHMITTER, Thierry (NED), 3 3 2 (6) 3 4 4 1 5, 25 points4. KRÖGER, Heiko (GER), 2 4 3 3 7 (17) 6 5 1, 31 point
Sonar:
1. COHEN, Dror (ISR) with EFRATI, Arnon and VEXLER, Benni, 1 (16) 4 1 4 4 3 1 1, 19 points 2. HESSELS, Udo (NED), with van de VEEN, Marcel and ROSSEN, Mischa, (6) 4 5 4 2 3 2 2 6, 28 points3. ROSS, DUGGAN John (USA) with CREIGNOU, Jean Paul and JOHNSON, Bradley, 3 1 3 6 6 6 7 5 (10), 37 points4. KROKER, Jens (GER) with REICHL, Peter and JACOBS, Olaf, (9) 8 2 2 3 1 6 7 9, 38 points