The Netherlands duo of Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz recovered from a dramatic last-minute error in which they miscalculated where the finish line was to still secure gold in the women's skiff Friday as the overall leaders on points.
World champions Van Aanholt and Duetz had sailed a masterclass in near perfect conditions, both at full stretch on their trapezes as their winged skiff streaked around the course, its spinnaker in the colors of the Dutch flag powering them downwind in the final leg toward what appeared a certain win.
But the race took a dramatic turn when the Dutch duo thought they were heading for the finish only to realize the race committee had changed the course and they were a few hundred meters in the wrong direction. They had to dramatically alter course to the line.
"When we crossed the finish line we thought we won gold, but we didn't hear the horn," said van Aanholt, 26. "It's been a week of very different winds. It showcases you can't be a one-start pony."
The mistake allowed Sweden's Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler to grab the race win and with it the silver medal.
Medals are decided by the overall lowest series score in Olympic sailing, with the medal race carrying double points, which can significantly change the outcome at the end. After a long pause while race officials crunched the numbers, the Dutch pair leapt into the sparkling Mediterranean in celebration as their Games win was confirmed.
French sailing veterans Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon failed to find the speed they produced in lighter winds and, after stumbling on the start, never got back into contention for gold, having to settle for bronze overall. Supporters of "Mama Team," as the French pair are known locally, gave them a rousing welcome when they came ashore.
Steyaert and Picon also both got a romantic offer when they returned, as their respective partners both got down on one knee and proposed marriage. They said "oui."
Meanwhile, the Dutch gold medal winners were lifted shoulder height by their supporters in their skiff onto the beach in a traditional Olympic sailing victory tradition.
Spain's Diego Botin and Florian Trettel stormed to the men's skiff gold. They let their winged skiff capsize and roared with joy after crossing the finish line off the coast of Marseille.
"It's a dream come true. After years of putting the work in with the best team, with our families here, it doesn't get any better," Botin said.
The "McKiwi" men's skiff of Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie won silver for New Zealand and Ian Barrows and Hans Henken of the United States bronze after the medal race points. It was the first Olympic sailing medal for the United States since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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