Dutch take double gold on final day of Paris Test Event

The Netherlands closed out the Paris 2024 Test Event with a pair of gold medals to build momentum less than a month out from the Allianz Sailing World Championships on home waters. Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz set the ball rolling with victory in the 49erFX, with Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken clinching their gold in the 49er class straight after. Ad Elsewhere, Gigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei (ITA) claimed gold in dramatic fashion in the Nacra 17, while Nicolas Goyard gave France a fourth gold later in the day in the iQFOiL men in unusual circumstances.

SailingNolot and Mazella make it a golden Bastille Day for France14/07/2023 AT 19:23 And in the iQFOiL women, Sharon Kantor (ISR) maintained her flying form in the latter stages of the regatta with victory in the final. Dutch dominate 49er and 49erFX The chances of a pair of Dutch golds in the 49er and 49erFX were already high heading into the medal races, and the two crews lived up to the billing. Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz had a little more to do going into the medal race, but the withdrawal of Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler because of injury changed the dynamic of the race.

Van Aanholt and Duetz, the reigning world champions, proceeded to finish second in the medal race to wrap up gold by 30 points from Brazilian pair Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, with the Swedes just hanging on for bronze ahead of Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea (USA). And while there were mixed feelings at the absence of their rivals and training partners, Bobeck and Netzler, Duetz was still delighted at the performance. She said: «It's quite sad because the Swedes who were second were injured.