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Marni Lane, US SAILING, 617-671-8332
USA’S Anna Tunnicliffe Wins Gold Medal at Qingdao Test Event
Portsmouth, R.I. (August 23, 2007) – Team USA’s Anna Tunnicliffe is riding
high today after winning a gold medal in the Laser Radial class at The Good
Luck Beijing - 2007 Qingdao International Regatta in Qingdao, China, the
second test event before the 2008 Olympic Games.
With a new gold charm circling her neck and arms outstretched in victory,
Tunnicliffe basked on the top step of the podium in front of an American flag.
“The awards ceremony was an amazing experience,” said Tunnicliffe. “It really
makes me want to come back and do it again next year at the Olympics.”
The Radials enjoyed a southeasterly breeze of approximately 8-10 knots for
today’s Medal Race, and raced close to the breakwater, where spectators
watched the action. Heading into the Medal Race, Tunnicliffe held an 11-point
cushion and the promise of a medal. Today proved to be a match race between
her and her long-time competitor, New Zealand’s Jo Aleh, who she didn’t let
out of her sight. Tunnicliffe said her primary goal was to slow Aleh down as
much as possible, forcing her to stay far enough away from the rest of the
fleet. Even though Aleh finished ahead of Tunnicliffe, who finished tenth, she
wasn’t able to put enough boats between them to grab Tunnicliffe’s gold medal.
Tunnicliffe felt the pressure early on in the regatta, but she quickly changed
her tune in order to reach her goals. “I had a mind switch, which allowed me
to sail fast, smart and have fun at the same time,” she said. Strong current
and little wind contributed to “tricky” sailing, which Tunnicliffe said was
mentally draining. “Keeping the fun around was key.”
Team USA’s Yngling boat suffered a crushing blow today when a split-second
timing error in the Medal Race knocked them out of medal contention. After an
uncertain start, they pressed on and led the fleet at the windward mark, but
then realized they were, in fact, over. They accepted an OCS and finished the
regatta in fourth overall.
“We had worked on time and distance and thought we had it right,” said a
disappointed Barkow.
Dean Brenner, the Team Leader at this event and the Chairman of the Olympic
Sailing Program, was upbeat about the team’s overall performance in Qingdao.
“Team USA had a good event here in China, with some successes, some
disappointments and plenty of lessons learned,” he said. “Anna's Gold Medal in
the Laser Radial proves again what was already clear: She's a major player
internationally. And our performances in the 49er and the Yngling also
demonstrate our strengths in those events.”
Brenner also stressed the importance of the upcoming year before the 2008
Olympic Games. “We'll refocus for the next two months on our Olympic Trials
where we will select the members of our 2008 Olympic Sailing Team,” he said.
“Once those Trials are over, we will refocus on the things we need to do to
perform even better in 2008.”
One year before the 2008 Olympic Games, The Good Luck Beijing - 2007 Qingdao
International Regatta provided sailors an opportunity to test the local
conditions and to see where they stand against the best in the world. The
event was held at the location of the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, the
Qingdao International Marina in Qingdao, China, a coastal city located 430
miles east of Beijing.
For results, photos, profiles and behind-the-scene notebooks from US Sailing
Team Members competing at the 2007 Qingdao International Regatta, please visit
www.ussailing.org/olympics/qingdao/qingdao.htm. The 2008 Olympic Games are
scheduled for August 8-24, 2008.
About the US Sailing Team
The US Sailing Team is managed by The United States Sailing Association (US
SAILING), the national governing body of the sport. Founded in 1897 and
headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides
leadership for the sport of sailing in the U.S. US SAILING offers training and
education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range
of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates,
and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the
country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit
www.ussailing.org.
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