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Denmark edge Germany for gold in Open Soling class
SYDNEY, Sept 30 (AFP) - Jesper Bank skippered Denmark to a knife-edge 4-3 victory over Germany in the Open Soling Class of the Sydney Olympic regatta Saturday to add a second gold to the one he won in the same category eight years ago in Barcelona. Bank, crewed by Thomas Jacobsen and Henrik Blakskjaer, needed all his experience to edge out Jochen Schumann's boat in an event where two boats are pitted in head-to-head competition with each other rather than racing with the entire fleet. The German boat had been leading 3-2 only for the Danes to rally and win the last two races in the best-of-seven series. Schumann seemed to have the final race under control but the on-water jury ruled he had to make a penalty turn right on the line which allowed Denmark through for the win. He therefore had to admit defeat in his bid to emulate another Dane Paul Elvstrom who won four medals in the Finn class in a glory run that began in London in 1948 and ended in Rome in 1960. Schumann's previous golds were won at Montreal (1976), Seoul (1988) and Atlanta (1996). His first victory was in the Finn class and the later two in the Open Soling. Earlier Norway had defeated Holland 3-1 to clinch the bronze medal in the play-off for the third place on the podium.
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