Sailing, Rio 2016

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

No Wind off Rio

By Gary Jobson


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For centuries, a sailor's worst nightmare is getting becalmed. The 40 sailors slated to compete in the men's and women's 470 Medal Races spent the day waiting for an afternoon sea breeze that never arrived. At one point the Race Committee sent the women's fleet out to the race course off Flamingo Beach. A few thousand loyal teammates, families, friends and fans dutifully waited. There is a lot at stake. On the women's side, four crews are separated by just four points. 

Sailing, Rio 2016

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Heartbreak off Rio

By Gary Jobson

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Legendary television sports announcer Jim McKay captured the essence of the Olympic Games with his iconic words, “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.” Both emotions were vividly on display on the final sailing day of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The four Medal Races provided spellbinding stories, with frequent lead changes, inspiring heroics and devastating mistakes. Most sailing takes place on the water with little spectator interest. The Olympic Games are different, thanks to on-board cameras, aerial and water-level images. Cameras around the sailing venue recorded the many emotions. Randy Smyth and I spent three hours commentating the four races.