The United States has won more Olympic yachting medals than any other country, and again enters a top team of experienced sailors.
Spain won five medals as the host team in Barcelona in 1992 and could continue its success on the waves off Savannah. The 1992 gold medalist in the 470 class, Theresa ZABELL won a gold medal in 1992, and teams with Begona VIA DUFRESNE in seeking to become the events first two-time champion.
IMCO-One Design - Men
Nikolas KAKLAMANAKIS of Greece earned the world's number one ranking after winning the 1996 World Championship in Hafia, Israel. KAKLAMANAKIS will look to hold on to the top spot against a field that includes 1992 Olympic silver medalist Mike GEBHART of the United States, the world's number two ranked sailor Jean Max DE CHAVIGNY of France and Matthias BORNHAUSER of Germany. Israel's Gal FRIDMAN earned a second-place finish at the World Championships while Argentina's Eduardo GARCIA finished third.
IMCO-One Design - Women
A battle between the world's top-ranked sailor, the defending world champion, and the reigning Olympic champion highlight the competition in the women's IMCO One-Design. LEE Lai Shan of Hong Kong holds the number one spot in the IYRU rankings, but third-ranked Maud HERBERT of France won the 1996 World Championship with a convincing win over LEE in the 12-race series. New Zealand's Barbara KENDALL won the gold medal in Barcelona while Dorien DE VRIES of the Netherlands won the Olympic silver medal in the Lechner Class event in 1992.
Finn
Sweden's Frederik LOOF is the top-ranked skipper in the Finn class but should face challenges from 1996 Finn Gold Cup champion Phillippe PRESTI of France, and Gold Cup runner-up Hans SPITZAUER as well as Finland's Jali MAKILA and Croatia's Karlo KURET.
Europe
Spain's Natalia VIA DUFRESNE is the world's top-ranked sailor in the Europe and won an Olympic silver medal in 1992. However, VIA DUFRESNE may not get the chance to add to her medal collection in Savannah if Spain's 11th-ranked Helen MONTILLA represents her country at the Games.
470 - Men
All three of the 1992 medal crews are expected back in the men's 470, but none enter as the favorite in the event. Spain's Jorid CALAFAT and Francisco SANCHEZ won the gold medal as the host team at Nova Acardia but have slipped to number 13 on the IYRU rankings. Also dropping in the rankings, Morgan REESER and Kevin BURNHAM of the United States earned a silver medal in 1992 but have slid down to the number 38 spot while bronze medalist Tonu ONISTE and Toomas TONISTE of Estonia rank as the number five crew. While the medalists look to return to their 1992 form, Andreas KOSMATOPOULOS and Kostas TRIGONIS of Greece have risen to the world's number one spot followed by Great Britain's John MERRICKS and Ian WALKER and Israel's Ran SHENTAL and Nir SHENTAL.
470 - Women
Spain's Theresa ZABELL and Begona VIA DUFRESNE have dominated the class, winning two world championships en route to the number-one world ranking. ZABELL won a gold medal in 1992 while teaming with Patricia GUERRA. Germany's Susanne BAUCKHOLT and Katrin ADLKOFER finished second at the World Championships, but Japan's Yumiko SHIGE and Alicia KINOSHITA grabbed the IYRU's number two-world ranking ahead of Ukraine's Ruslana TARAN and Elena PAHOLCHIK.
Laser
The Laser makes its Olympic debut with world champion Robert SCHEIDT of Brazil expected to make a run for the event's first gold medal. SCHEIDT won the gold fleet at the 1996 Laser World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, but will have to top some familiar rivals in Savannah including world bronze medalist Ben AINSLIE of Great Britain. Norway's Peer MOBERG is the world's second-ranked sailor in the Laser class.
Tornado
Germany's Roland Gaebler and Frank PARLOW ranked number one in the world after winning the 1996 Tornado World Championships in Mooloolaba, Australia. The PIRINOLLI brothers (Walter and Marco) of Italy won the 1995 World title in addition to the pre-Olympic event in Savannah last summer. Spain's Fernando LEON and Jose-Luis BALLESTER finished second at the World Championships while Australia's Mitch BOOTH won a bronze medal at Barcelona in 1992 and will team with Andrew LANDENBERGER in 1996.
Star
The 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the discontinued Flying Dutchman class, Mark REYNOLDS and Hal HAENEL return to the Star class where they earned a silver medal at the 1988 Games. The world's top-ranked crew, REYNOLDS and HAENEL won the 1995 World Championship, but had to settle for second place in 1996 behind Italy's Enrico CHIEFFI and Roberto SINIBALDI. Denmark's Michael HESTBAEK and Martin HEIHLSBERG won the 1996 European Spring Championship in addition to the pre-Olympic regatta in Savannah last August. Canada's Ross MACDONALD and Eric JESPERSEN rank number two in the world followed by Australia's Colin BEASHEL and David GILES.
Soling
Spain's Luis DORESTE seeks a third Olympic gold medal in the Soling after previously taking top honors in the 470 (1984) and Star (1992), but the four-time Olympian's crew will have to get past a tough field of sailors including the top-ranked Swedish crew of Magnus HOLMBERG, Joahn BARNE and Bjorn ALM. Sweden won the IYRU Olympic Qualification Regatta in San Remo, Italy, nipping the world's second-ranked Danish team of Jesper BANK, Thomas JACOBSEN and B. ANDERSON. BANK helped sail Denmark to the Olympic gold medal in 1992. The United States has won a medal in every Olympic Soling event it has contested and this year's hopes rest with Jeff MADRIGALI, Kent MASSEY and Jim BARTON.
This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.
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