Sailing: Belgians in the race for the Tokyo Games!

After Emma Plaesschaert, already qualified as 2018 world champion in Laser Radial, two Belgian crews hope to qualify for the Tokyo Games, in sailing, in the 49er class, a light dinghy designed in 1996, for which there are so many competitions. male side (49er) than female (49erFX). And this Olympic qualification is played this week, in Lanzarote, where Belgium is represented by Yannick Lefèbvre and Tom Pelsmaekers as well as by Anouk Geurts and Isaura Maenhaut.

At the end of the first two days and six regattas, our men’s duo are 9th overall, with 35 points, in a ranking led by a British tandem, with only 12 points, this total being the sum of the results recorded in the regattas, i.e. 4th, 1st, 4th, 2nd, 1st, 5th. After a relatively shy start (17th), Yannick Lefèbvre and Tom Pelsmaekers clinched an 8th and even a 1st place on Sunday, before aligning a 10th, 5th and 11th places on Monday.

The Belgians face 43 teams from around twenty countries for a medal in this traditional competition. But the fight for the last Olympic ticket is much bigger! And it opposes seven nations, namely: Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia and Belgium. This Monday evening, in the provisional classification, only Ireland, 5th with 21 points, also precedes our country.

Same scenario for our female duo… Anouk Geurts and Isaura Maenhaut are currently ranked 7th overall, with 28 points, in a ranking led by Norway, with 15 points. Opposed to 45 teams, also from around twenty nations, Belgium’s women’s version is competing for Olympic qualification with seven other countries, namely: Croatia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic. And, this Monday evening, in the provisional classification, the Belgians are ahead of all their opponents!