Fickle winds scuttle medal races again, now in the biggest, most diverse Olympic sailing class

1 of 12 |

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands sails back to the harbour after ILCA 6 dinghy class final race was postponed during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

2 of 12 |

3 of 12 |

Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark, right, and Line Flem Hoest of Norway sail back to the harbour after ILCA 6 dinghy class final race was postponed during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

4 of 12 |

A fleet of boats compete in the 470 mixed dinghy race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

5 of 12 |

Elena Vorobeva of Croatia, right, talks to her coach as they wait for the start of the ILCA 6 dinghy class final race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

6 of 12 |

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands shelters against the sun with an umbrella as she waits with others for the start of the ILCA 6 dinghy class final race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

7 of 12 |

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands moves to the race court prior the start of the ILCA 6 dinghy class final race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

8 of 12 |

9 of 12 |

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands celebrates with her daughter Jessie Mae after competing in ILCA 6 dinghy class racing during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

10 of 12 |

11 of 12 |

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands celebrates by sharing a treat with her daughter Jessie Mae after competing in ILCA 6 dinghy class racing during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

12 of 12 |

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Fickle winds in Marseille have altered the sailing schedule for the 2024 Olympics for the second time, forcing the postponement of the medal races for one-person dinghies on Tuesday.

Organizers are hoping to run the men’s and women’s races on Wednesday instead.

Through nine grueling regattas for the biggest and most diverse sailing class for the Games — some also postponed and even abandoned in the light winds and high heat — Marit Bouwmeester, 36, of the Netherlands has enough of a lead that she just needs to complete the medal race to win gold. Anne-Marie Rindom, 33, also has a firm grip on the second spot.

The men’s dinghy medal race is still competitive. Matt Wearn, of Australia, the 28-year-old reigning Olympic champion, is in front.

After waiting for a few hours out in the water for the medal race to begin, Rindom said she was disappointed for the fans.

“I feel it’s unfortunate for the spectators,” she said. “I hope they will come again.”

About three dozen fans from her home sailing club in Horsens, Denmark, are in Marseille to cheer her on.

“I’m really proud. Anne-Marie has been a big mentor and inspiration,” said Christian Winker, 23, who sailed with her in Horsens. “I feel like everybody knows Anne-Marie even if they know nothing about sailing.”

Rindom first competed in the 2012 Olympics, and she won bronze in 2016 and gold in Tokyo. But she still felt Marseille was “a really tricky racecourse,” especially in the blistering heat.

Paris Olympics

The Olympics are more than fun and games. They’re a billion-dollar business with political overtones.
Breakdance will make it’s debut as an Olympic sport in Paris.. Here’s what else will be different at this year’s games.
Follow all of AP’s coverage of the Summer Games.

Bouwmeester won silver in this class of sailing in London in 2012, followed by gold in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. This is her first Olympics as a mother — her 2-year-old daughter, Jessie Mae, has become a companion for training.

Jessie greeted Bouwmeester with a hug, and they shared a popsicle on the beach after Monday’s race.

Hours before the race was called off, Wearn’s parents, Brad and Karen Wearn, went to the beach to briefly speak with him — a special treat since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented spectators from joining the Games in Tokyo.

“We’ve got his back,” a visibly moved Karen Wearn said.

___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

1 of 7 |

FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

2 of 7 |

FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

3 of 7 |

FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

4 of 7 |

Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

5 of 7 |

USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

6 of 7 |

Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

7 of 7 |

FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)