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Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove. Oceansport/David Branigan/INPHO

Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove miss out on medal in men's skiff

Agony for the duo from Dublin who had to go back to start.

LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug

IRELAND’S ROBERT DICKSON and Sean Waddilove missed out on a medal in the men’s skiff, after having to go back to the start for crossing the line too soon. 

The pair, from Dublin, never recovered, and finished ninth in the race – which was not enough to get them on the podium.

They had been second in the overall standings before today’s medal race, where points count for double, but finished in fourth place ultimately. 

Diego Botin le Chever and Florian Paul Trittel took gold for Spain. New Zealand got silver and USA bronze.

Ireland finished on 91 points, three points behind the USA on 88. New Zealand had 82 points, with Spain, who also won the medal race, on 70 points.  

Dickson and Waddilove were among 10 boats to have qualified for today’s final. 

They finished ninth today, with Croatia eliminated from the medal race for not returning to the start after they also crossed too soon.  

A seventh-place finish or higher in the medal race would have earned Dickson and Waddilove a medal.

Annalise Murphy, who was a contender for gold in the medal race at London 2012, but finished fourth can identify with what Dickson and Waddilove are going through now.

“They’re going to be so disappointed,” Murphy said on RTÉ. “It’s one thing losing a medal when you sail the race really well and you get beaten, but to be over the start line and have to go back, and not even be in the race, you’re just watching from afar, just hoping your main competitors do badly in the race . . . it’s just horrible to see it like that.

“They sailed so well all week, they deserved more. Sport is horrible sometimes. I feel so sorry for them, it’s really not a nice place to be.”

Murphy returned to win silver in Rio, 2016. 

Fourth overall follows Dickson and Waddilove’s 13th at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Elsewhere in the women’s dinghy, Eve McMahon was 21st in the rescheduled second race. McMahon followed with a 16th-place finish in race three.

The fourth race in Marseille was abandoned due to low winds, with McMahon placed 15th overall ahead of tomorrow’s planned return to action.

Finn Lynch contested races three and four in the men’s dinghy today, placing 26th and 22nd, to sit at 25th overall in the fleet racing series.

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