Becker-Dey Wins Bronze For USA

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BECKER-DEY WINS BRONZE FOR USA

SAVANNAH, GA (July 31, 1996)--Courtenay Becker-Dey (Rye, N.Y./The Dalles, Ore.) won an Olympic yachting bronze medal after an intense final race today in the Europe class. It was "a dream come true" for Becker-Dey, whose varied sailing history includes navigating aboard Mighty Mary in the 1995 America's Cup, and the first medal for the USA at this Olympic Regatta, the largest ever with 458 sailors in ten disciplines.

Becker-Dey went into today knowing various finish combinations she had to pull off in relation to the closest bronze-contender Shirley Robertson of Great Britain. The scenario that played out: Robertson finishing third in the race. Becker-Dey, who had to finish eighth or better to medal in that situation, finished sixth.

"My goal was to keep Shirley under control," said Becker-Dey, who chased Robertson in pre-race maneuvers. "I achieved what I had to achieve, and it feels great!" Becker-Dey added that at one point in the race, when silver medalist Margriet Matthijsse of The Nederlands fell behind her, she knew she had a shot at silver. "That possibility was there, but it wasn't going to be my option. It was going to be if Margriet made a mistake, and she ended up recovering."

When asked what qualities one needs to win an Olympic medal, Becker-Dey replied, "A dream, determination and the ability to never give up."

The Laser class also awarded medals after capping off its series with an 11th and final race today. The USA's Nick Adamson (Newport Beach, Calif.) finished 21st overall.

Medals for 470s (men and women) and Solings remain to be awarded. The USA is in contention for all three disciplines. Competing tomorrow in their final race is the USA's women 470 sailors Kris Stookey (Darien, Conn.) and Louise Van Voorhis (Webster, N.Y.), who currently are tied for third with the Ukraine. In the 470 men's division, USA's Morgan Reeser (Wilton Manors, Fla.) and Kevin Burnham (Coral Gables, Fla.) are 11 points out of third after losing yesterday's request for redress concerning a PMS start in race nine.

The USA's Soling sailors Jeff Madrigali/Kent Massey/Jim Barton (San Anselmo/Santa Barbara/Fairfax, Calif.) will match up against Russia tomorrow in a best three-of-five semifinals series. With a bye for the quarterfinals, the Californians practiced today with the German team, who will sail against Great Britain tomorrow. The Soling is the only Olympic class that demands from its medal winners a finish in the top six for fleet racing before proceeding to a match-racing competition.

(end)

1996 Olympic Regatta
DAY 10 Results (Top-three and USA)
July 31, 1996 
Position, Skipper/Crew (Hometown), Country, Finish Positions (throwout), Cumulative Score.

EUROPE (28 boats)--COMPLETED 7/31
GOLD, Kristine Roug, DEN, 2-1-3-2-1-2-(8)-1-(8)-7-5; 24.
SILVER, Margriet Matthijsse, NED, (PMS)-2-1-10-2-1-1-4-(12)-5-4; 30. 
BRONZE, Courtenay Becker-Dey (Rye, N.Y./The Dalles, Ore.), USA, 
1-8-2-4-7-6-3-(14)-(9)-2-6; 39.

FINN (31 boats)--COMPLETED 7/29
GOLD, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, POL, (10)-4-(20)-4-9-1-2-1-1-10; 32.
SILVER, Sebastien Godefroid, BEL, 13-(24)-5-5-4-3-(16)-7-2-6; 45.
BRONZE, Roy Heiner, NED, (21)-7-6-11-6-11-1-(12)-6-2; 50.
23. Will Martin (Charleston, S.C.), USA, (PMS)-22-18-12-21-2-(PMS)-25-17-19; 136.

470 MEN (36 boats)--NO SCHEDULED RACING TODAY
1, Yevhen Braslavets/Ihor Matviyenko, UKR, 2-2-3-1-(16)-5-1-9-(10)-8; 31.
2, John Merricks/Ian Merricks, GBR, 15-1-4-(27)-(DSQ)-4-2-6-15-2; 49.
3, Vitor Rocha/Nuno Barreto, POR, 5-10-(17)-7-4-8-9-5-2-(13); 50.
5, Morgan Reeser/Kevin Burnham (Wilton Manors/Coral Gables, Fla.), USA, 20-9-6-9-1-11-(DSQ)-4-(PMS)-1; 61.

470 WOMEN (22 boats)--NO SCHEDULED RACING TODAY
1, Theresa Zabell/Begona Via Dufresne, ESP, 4-2-(11)-8-2-1-3-(10)-3-1; 24.
2, Yumiko Shige/Alicia Kinoshita, JPN, 3-7-(13)-6-1-3-2-(11)-1-6; 29.
3(t), Rusian Taran/Olena Pakholchik, UKR, 1-5-4-9-(12)-8-(18)-1-4-4; 36.
3(t), Kris Stookey/Louise Van Voorhis (Darien, Conn./Webster, N.Y.), USA, 2-8-2-1-4-12-(14)-2-(14)-5; 36.

 LASER (56 boats)--COMPLETED 7/31
GOLD, Robert Scheidt, BRA, 2-(9)-3-6-1-3-(7)-2-1-1-DSQ; 26.  
SILVER, Ben Ainslie, GBR, (27)-4-7-2-2-1-2-1-(16)-2-(DSQ); 37.  
BRONZE, Peer Moberg, NOR, 1-7-9-1-9-(10)-1-(21)-3-5-11; 46.
21, Nick Adamson (Newport Beach, Calif.), USA, 9-(DSQ)-13-7-13-14-
10-(DSQ)-27-14-DSQ; 164.

MISTRAL MEN (46 boats)--COMPLETED 7/29
GOLD, Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, GRE, 5-1-2-6-1-(9)-1-1-(DNC); 17.  
SILVER, Carlos Espinola, ARG, 2-4-4-2-3-6-(DSQ)-2-2; 19.  
BRONZE, Gal Fridman, ISR, 1-6-5-3-(10)-1-(9)-4-1; 21.
6, Mike Gebhardt (Ft. Pierce, Fla.), USA, 10-(16)-3-4-5-(23)-4-11-4; 41.

MISTRAL WOMEN (27 boats)--COMPLETED 7/29
GOLD, Lai Shan Lee, HKG, 3-2-2-2-4-2-(7)-1-(DNC); 16.
SILVER, Barbara Kendall, NZL, 2-3-(6)-1-(10)-5-5-6-2; 24.
BRONZE, Alessandra Sensini, ITA, 1-8-1-6-7-(15)-(14)-5-1; 28.
11, Lanee Butler (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), USA, 9-(15)-(18)-7-11-13-1-8-4; 53.

SOLING (22 boats)--MATCH RACING (win-loss)
Quarterfinals:
GBR defeat DEN (3-2).
RUS defeat CAN (3-0).
GER, (bye).
Jeff Madrigali/Kent Massey/Jim Barton (San Anselmo/Santa Barbara/Fairfax, Calif.), USA, (bye)

STAR  (25 boats)--COMPLETED 7/29
GOLD, Torben Grael/Marcelo Ferreira, BRA, 1-6-2-(7)-1-4-(9)-2-6-3; 25.
SILVER, Hans Wallen/Bobbie Lohse, SWE, 4-7-7-(8)-2-1-3-4-(8)-1; 29.
BRONZE, Colin Beashel/David Giles, AUS, (11)-1-1-1-8-3-2-7-9-(PMS); 32.  8, Mark Reynolds/Hal Haenel (San Diego/Los Angeles, Calif.), USA, 3-2-5-5-5-(21)-15-(22)-18-5; 58.

TORNADO (19 boats)--COMPLETED 7/30
GOLD, Fernando Leon/Jose Luis Ballester, ESP, 2-2-4-5-5-2-4-3-(PMS)-3-(DNC); 30.
SILVER, Mitch Booth/Anerew Landenberger, AUS, 1-5-6-2-14-(17)-1-1-(PMS)-2-10; 42.
BRONZE, Lars Grael/Kiko Pellicano, BRA, (12)-(16)-1-8-6-8-2-5-3-7-3; 43.
8, John Lovell/Charlie Ogletree (New Orleans, La./Kemah, Texas), USA, 3-4-8-4-4-(11)-3-(12)-1-10-12; 48.

PMS=Premature Start   DSQ=Disqualified  DNC = Did Not Complete