How three blondes kept our medal on hold
AUSTRALIA’S 49er skiff gold medal machines Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen will contest the final medal race after the famous ‘‘three blondes in a boat’’ raised the ire of sailing officials.
Great Britain’s Shirley Roberston, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb won gold with a day to spare in the Yngling class at the Athens 2004 Games.
But on the final day of racing the trio reportedly had their hair done for the medal ceremony while the rest of the fleet fought for silver and bronze.
That decision to skip the medal race for the parlour contributed to the International Sailing Federation re-writing their rules and regulations.
Now Outteridge and Jensen must make every effort to race today despite earning gold on Monday, the last day of the 15 preliminary races.
If they don’t satisfy the ISAF’s racing demands, the governing body can take the gold medal away.
Outteridge said they would play by the rules after joining Australian sail- ing’s first London Games gold medallist Tom Slingsby’s party at the Cove House Inn on Monday.
New Zealand is in the same predicament after the Kiwis claimed silver with the medal race to spare.
‘‘We’ll just try and do the same things we always do,’’ Outteridge said. ‘‘We’ll just go out and try and sail the course.
Outteridge – Team Korea’s skipper for the 2013 America’s Cup – said he planned to defend the new crown at the Rio 2016 Olympics with Jensen.