Olympic sailing: Olympic test in Japan: close to the medals, but not there yet

The mood in the German team in the Olympic harbour of Enoshima was good on the last day of the test regatta, even though the national sailors had to end this series without medals. They came, they saw, but they didn't win. Although all seven GER teams competing in the ten Olympic sailing disciplines like the area and its conditions, things did not go according to plan for many of them. However, three boats were able to finish in the top ten and thus close to the medals.

Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme achieved the best German result in the 49er. After a disappointing start, the crew from the Kieler Yacht-Club worked their way up to fifth place over the course of the series with consistent single-digit results. With second place in the medal race, 27-year-old helmsman Justus Schmidt and his cox Max Boehme, who celebrates his 28th birthday in Japan today, showed that they can be counted on in the battle for just one Olympic ticket in the German skiff sailing discipline. "On the first two days, we didn't make enough strategic decisions and realised that this doesn't work in such a small but very strong fleet. You have to create opportunities to control your opponents. Because as soon as you lose a pack, you quickly end up in double figures," summarised Schmidt. The helmsman describes the Olympic area as "crazy, incredibly varied". It offers "great sailing conditions" and has "many faces". Like most of the starters, Schmidt is arming himself creatively against the extreme heat and high humidity in Enoshima: "I never thought I'd put ice cubes in my lifejacket." Others put on waistcoats or clothing straight from the cooler.

Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer also impressed in Sagami Bay. The crew from the Kieler Yacht-Club even won the final of the top ten teams after almost consistently single-digit results and finished the Olympic dress rehearsal in sixth place. Considering the small points gap to the medal places and the fact that two British crews were ahead of them, only one of which will be allowed to compete at the 2020 Olympics, they were very close to the medals in the top-ranked field. The young North Germans were just a handful of points short of the podium finish they were aiming for. This means that Kohlhoff and Stuhlemmer have sailed themselves into the extended group of favourites for next year's Olympic regatta after a constantly rising performance curve in recent months. However, at the World Championships in New Zealand they must first secure the German national starting place, which the catamaran sailors still lack. And then the three-part national elimination begins, in which other German Nacra 17 crews will take part. Helmsman Kohlhoff said in Enoshima: "Our aim here was above all to achieve consistent results. We managed that well. We wanted to establish ourselves in the top eight. We also achieved that. Our performance was very solid. We want to turn the series of ninth, tenth or eleventh places into third, fourth, fifth or sixth. We were often well up front and then lost a few places due to minor issues. Our overall package is not yet complete, but we are on a good course and will continue to work hard."

Here the first crews are already celebrating their victories at the Olympic dress rehearsal

The farewell was a bit dull: almost all the medal finals had to be cancelled on the sixth and final day. But there were still some worthy winners

Germany's number one laser sailor is also working hard. But Philipp Buhl was not yet able to reward himself for this off Enoshima. Although the sports soldier from Sonthofen demonstrated once again that he is among the top ten with seventh place in the high-calibre fleet of 35 single-handed dinghies, he wants more. "I'm dissatisfied and disappointed," said the 29-year-old helmsman from the Alpsee-Immenstadt sailing club, taking a hard look at himself, "for me the dress rehearsal was a failure." What gives Buhl hope is that, unlike the unloved Rio area three years ago, he is embracing the upcoming Japanese Olympic area on course for his second Olympic participation - he likes it. "It's hot and there are big swells in places. It's really cool for laser sailing. I think it suits me because the wind is varied and the waves are challenging. I like that."

DSV Sports Director Nadine Stegenwalner, who is in Enoshima with the German Sailing Team, drew a confident conclusion at the end of the Olympic test regatta: "We made a very good start to the series, but were not able to bring our performance to the finish in all disciplines. I think the results and the findings are better than they look. We now have to do our homework intensively. We know exactly what that is. There is still a lot of potential to realise." Stegenwalner reported that the regatta conditions on the water were good and that the national sailors appreciate the Olympic area for 2020.

The four other German starters were able to put in some good performances, but missed out on the finals. This was the case for Berliners Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz, who had made a brilliant start in the top three before the crew from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club fell just outside the top ten shortly before the final and had to finish the "Ready Steady Tokyo - Sailing" regatta in eleventh place. Svenja Weger seems to have recovered well from her disappointing 29th place at the World Championships. The Laser Radial helmswoman sailed among the top ten in the test regatta above ground, but like many other German teams had to give up ground in the final sprint and finished the Olympic opener in 13th place. Simon Diesch and Philipp Autenrieth sailed to 14th place in the 470, while their team-mates Nadine Böhm and Ann-Christin Goliass finished 17th in the women's 470.

Here to see the results.

According to the classic calculation of medal tables, China surprisingly won the nation ranking of this Olympic test regatta with two gold medals in the surfing disciplines for men and women. If it were only based on the total number of medals won (and not on their colour), then the British would once again come out on top. Their sailors won six medals in ten disciplines. Just how broad the international Olympic elite has become and how many nations now have medal-winning teams is shown by the large number of countries that won medals at the test regatta: 15 nations shared the 30 medals awarded, which will also be up for grabs at next year's Olympic regatta. The Poles made a splash with three bronze medals, while Australia, France, Sweden and Italy each won one test gold and one test silver. The high-flyers of the week were the 49er Olympic champions and America's Cup winners Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who won in the 49er and made it clear that after winning two Olympic medals, they will also be the top favourites in 2020. Finn dominator Giles Scott fared differently. The Briton, who is also racing for Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK in the America's Cup alongside his Olympic commitments, was beaten by both the victorious Hungarian Zsombor Berecz and the Dutchman Nicholas Heiner.