One Person Dinghy (Laser Radial), Women

The Laser Radial is a small, light dinghy usually raced by women. It replaced the Europe class that had been used for women’s one-person dinghy events at the 1996-2004 Olympics. The Laser Radial was based on the Laser Standard class but is smaller and lighter. It was first designed in the early 1980s and World Championships were first held in the class in 1988. Scheduled for 11 races, only 10 were completed due to a lack of wind on 14 August.

American Anna Tunnicliffe had won the 2007 pre-Olympic regatta and defeated the 2005 World Champion, Paige Railey, at the US Trials to qualify for Qingdao. Tunnicliffe led going into the medal race but started early and had to circle back and re-start, which put her in ninth place, of 10 boats. she moved up continually, however, eventually placing second in the medal race to claim the gold medal. Lithuanian Gintarė Volungevičiūtė won the medal race to secure the silver medal, which was the first ever Olympic sailing medal won by Lithuania. Two months after the Beijing Olympics, Volungevičiūtė married Brazilian superstar sailor Robert Scheidt.