False start leads to controversial exclusion of British sailors from medal race | Paris 2024 Olympic Games

There was heartbreaking news for British medal contenders John Gimson and Anna Burnet, who were disqualified after crossing the finish line at the start of the double points medal race in the mixed multihull boats. They seemed oblivious and did not return to cross the finish line again; officials broke the news halfway through the race.

Burnet was clearly upset when he realised that the dream of another Olympic medal with Gimson had been dashed. The British couple, who are due to marry next month, had been in good position to win silver or bronze before the final race, but because they were unable to complete the race they finished fourth and off the podium.

Nevertheless, they welcomed Italian gold medalists Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti ashore and embraced the reigning Olympic champions on the beach. Meanwhile, the celebrations began for Italy, who had now won their second sailing medal of the Games.

Tita and Banti had sailed a certain final medal race to finish second and confirm their overall victory. Argentina’s Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco held off a medal challenge from New Zealand’s Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson to secure silver, while New Zealand settled for bronze in a thrilling light-wind race.

During the festivities on the water, the Argentines sang songs while wildly waving their blue and white flag.

Earlier, Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Lukas Maehr did enough in their medal race to take gold in the mixed dinghy after battling their way up from the back of the fleet. After a short pause while they waited for the scoring to be confirmed by officials, the Austrian duo celebrated in traditional fashion by capsizing their 470 dinghy and standing on its upturned white hull, waving their country’s flag.

Japan’s Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka remained at the front of the peloton throughout the final for the double points to take silver, while Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson took bronze, while Spain’s Jordi Xammar Hernández and Nora Brugman dropped to fourth in the general classification.

Although the French duo Camille Lecointre and Jérémie Mion won the medal race, it was not enough for them to reach the podium. They finished in sixth place in the general classification.