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2016 Rio Summer Olympics games: Argentina’s Lange ends long wait in Nacra catamaran

8/17/16
Argentina’s Lange ends long wait in Nacra catamaran

Argentine helmsman Santiago Lange and crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli won gold in the Nacra 17 mixed catamaran class after a fast medal race in windy conditions on Guanabara Bay's Pao de Acucar course. Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin of Australia, came within a single point of gold, but their second-place finish was not enough to close the overall points gap built up by the Argentinians in the 12 preliminary races before the medal round.

The Australians won a tie-break with Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank of Austria, who finished the regatta with the same points total of 78, but took bronze due to finishing third, behind Waterhouse and Darmanin, in the medal race.

54-year old Lange was delighted with what he claimed was a surprise and long-awaited victory. “We didn't expect it. At the end it was a very tough race, it was unbelievable,” he exclaimed. “I was rooting for a gold medal since the 1980s, so I've spent a lot of time working for this.”

Darmanin, who helped catapult Australia from fourth to second during the medal race, said: “It was a little bittersweet, not going to lie. We wanted that gold but we sailed an incredible medal race and I don't think we could have done much more out there, and to come home a silver medallist is great.”
Great Scott wins Finn gold

Great Britain's Giles Scott secured the Finn gold, having already guaranteed himself the title on points going into the medal race.  In doing so he extended a British winning streak started by Iain Percy in 2000 and continued by the great Ben Ainslie at the following three Games.

In a tough battle for the other podium spots in near-perfect wind conditions, Slovenia's Vasilij Zbogar was able to use a medal-race eighth to ensure silver. Caleb Paine of the USA pulled off one of his best races of this Olympic regatta to come in second, allowing him to jump from fourth overall and onto the podium with bronze.

Scott, who described himself as feeling “over the moon”, as able to put in a relaxed display in th medal race, knowing the gold was already his. “It means a great deal. I've been trying to get to the Olympic Games for at least two cycles so to qualify for Rio firstly was a huge deal for me.”

Silver medallist Zbogar, who made the switch to Finn class after winning two medals in Laser, was delighted to add to his haul. “I'm very happy that everything is finished in a good way with second place, which for me is a dream. I'm extremely proud and happy to be able to sail very consistent all week, to get a medal."