By Alexander Smith
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) -Netherlands duo Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz won Olympic gold in the women’s skiff on Friday, despite a dramatic last-minute error at the finish in the medals race, with Sweden landing silver and the French crew bronze.
The Dutch pair threw themselves into the Mediterranean in celebration as the results were eventually confirmed.
They had sailed a masterclass in perfect conditions, leading almost throughout the medal race to put themselves in the lead overall on points, both at full stretch out on their trapezes as their winged skiff streaked around the course.
But the race took a dramatic turn when the pair thought they had crossed the finish line only to realise they were a few hundred metres short, allowing Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler to grab the win and with it the silver medal.
France’s Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon failed to find the speed they produced in lighter winds during the series, stumbling on the start and never getting back into contention for gold, having to settle for bronze overall on points.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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