On the home straight to the Olympic Games, the hoped-for seventh Rio ticket for the German national sailing team is in jeopardy. On the third day of the World Cup off Hyères, the Flensburg Nacra 17 sailors Jan Hauke Erichsen and Lea Spitzmann dropped back to twelfth place. Their Kiel rivals Paul Kohlhoff and Carolina Werner are still not back to their brilliant form of the previous year in 24th place overall. What looked like a surprising elimination victory for Erichsen/Spitzmann on the first days of the World Cup is now turning into a big nail-biter.
For the Olympics, it is not enough just to beat the national competition on points. In this duel, Erichsen/Spitzmann would still have the lead. According to the criteria of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the German Olympic sailors must mathematically occupy a place among the top ten nations at the end of their respective elimination series with three predetermined regattas. For the Nacra 17 crews, the World Cup off Hyères marks the elimination final.
After three days and nine races, neither of the two German Nacra 17 teams would have fulfilled the DOSB requirements on Friday evening. While they themselves are wobbling, their direct international opponents are performing strongly at the World Cup and thus also in the nations' ranking led by the German elimination watchdogs. For example, Erichsen/Spitzmann would have to overtake the Argentinians Santi Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli, who are positioned ahead of them in the nations' rankings (the South Americans have a 4-point lead in the nations' rankings, which are based on DOSB guidelines), to make it into the top ten. Experienced helmswoman Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning also pose a threat to the Olympic dreams of the German mixed catamaran sailors. The Dutchmen did not take part in the first two important qualifying regattas from a German perspective due to injury. Now, however, they have made an impressive return to the World Cup as front runners after nine races and are also becoming a dangerous obstacle for the German crews on their way to the top ten.
The maths could go on and on. What will count are the results in the three scheduled Saturday races for the Nacra 17 fleet. Afterwards, on the eve of the medal race, the results will be finalised and it will probably be clear whether or not German sailing will take part in the premiere of the new Olympic mixed catamaran class. Tomorrow off Hyères, nothing less is at stake than the seventh and last possible Olympic ticket that the Audi Sailing Team is longing for.
The third day of racing in France also offered few reasons to cheer for most of the other German Olympic sailors and the Paralympic crews: Laser vice world champion Philipp Buhl lost his lead in the light winds, dropping back to fifth place with 33rd and 15th. 2.4mR helmsman Heiko Kröger, fifth the previous day, lost one place with 12th, 7th and 2nd. The 470 European champions Ferdi Gerz and Oliver Szymanski in tenth place will be fighting for a place in the medal final on Saturday, which will be difficult to achieve for the Olympic starters Annika Bochmann and Marlene Steinherr in 16th place in the 470 women's race. The best German crew was Berlin-based Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel in the 49er in fourth place after eight races on Friday evening. The 49erFX sailors Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz will be fighting for a place in the medal final on Saturday in seventh place with good prospects. RS:X surfer Toni Wilhelm is struggling for consistency, but came ninth to keep his chance of making the final. In the Sonar, the crew with helmsman Lasse Klötzing enjoyed a win on the day and is in seventh place.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
