There are two new leaders in the latest release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and some major changes elsewhere with the inclusion of results from the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Following on from the sailing events at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games there are some major changes amongst the leaders in this release of the World Rankings. Australia holds on to their top nation standing in this Ranking release after winning two gold and one silver medal at the Games. Just behind them Great Britain climbs up from fourth to second in the national standings after topping the medal tally with one of the best-ever national performances at the Olympic Sailing Competition, winning four gold, one silver and one bronze medal. The only thing holding the British team back in the Rankings is the limited number of appearances made by some of their star names which has cost them Ranking points but did nothing to halt their success in Qingdao.
Spain, which won one gold and one silver medal in Qingdao, is tied with Great Britain as the second-best nation with two #1 and two #2 crews. Poland drop back from second to fourth in the national standings after failing to deliver any medals in China despite having what was probably their strongest-ever Olympic sailing team. Italy, winners of one silver and one bronze medal at the Games, complete the top five in the national standings.
New Leaders
Following on from the Games there are two new leaders at the top of the 11 ISAF World Ranking lists. Paul GOODISON of Great Britain reclaims the top spot in the Laser, after winning Olympic gold in Qingdao. In the Women's 470 Ranknigs former leaders also return to the top spot with Italians Giulia CONTI and Giovanna MICOL at back in the world #1 spot. CONTI and MICOL missed out on the medals with fifth place finish, but still overtake former leaders Ai KONDO and Naoko KAMATA, who struggled to a 14th place finish.
Of the 11 crews who held world #1 rankings going into the Games, five won medals, including gold medals for Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA) in the Laser Radial, Nathan WILMOT and Malcolm PAGE (AUS) in the Men's 470 and Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON (GBR) in the Yngling. Of the 11 gold medal winners, six held a world ranking in the top three going into the Games.
Movers
Olympic gold medallists Women's 470 gold medallists Elise RECHICHI and Tessa PARKINSON (AUS) climb two places to #6. Silver medallists Marcelien DE KONING and Lobke BERKHOUT also gain two places to #4, whilst bronze medallists Fernanda OLIVEIRA and Isabel SWAN (BRA) make a three place gain to #17. However the big climbers are the Spanish duo Natalia VIA-DUFRESNE and Laia TUTZO, who make up 14 places to #14, and the Slovenians Vesna DEKLEVA and Klara MAUCEC who jump from #37 to #22.
China's first-ever Olympic gold medallist in sailing Jian YIN is the big mover in the Women's RS:X Rankings, climbing up from #25 to #16. Silver medallist Alessandra SENSINI (ITA) moves up five places to #6.
In the Laser fleet, Swiss star Nathalie BRUGGER also earns a career-best ranking as she climbs eight places up to #10.
In the Star Rankings, In the Yngling Rankings, Olympic bronze medallists Sofia BEKATOROU, Sofia PAPADOPOULOU and Virginia KRAVARIOTI (GRE) are the highest of two new entries into the top 10 at #7.
World Ranking Leaders - 3 September 2008
Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA)
Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470 Giulia CONTI and Giovanna MICOL (ITA)
Women's Keelboat - Yngling Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON (GBR)
Women's Windsurfer - RS:X Marina ALABAU (ESP)
The next release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings will next be on 15 October 2008.
