Windsurfer (Mistral), Women

This was the second straight Olympics at which the windsurfers used the Mistral board. The favorites were Alessandra Sensini of Italy and Barbara Kendall of New Zealand, but German Amelie Lux won the first race and was very consistent, with no finish worse than a fourth in any race. Going into the final race, Lux was leading by one point over Sensini, with Kendall only three points back, but Sensini won the final race, with Lux second, and Kendall third. This gave Sensini the gold medal as she won five races to Lux’s three.

Sensini had won the bronze medal in 1996 and would earn a bronze medal in 2004 and 2008. Her four Olympic sailing medals are the most ever won by a female sailor, through 2012. Kendall’s bronze medal was her third consecutive in the event, after gold in 1992 and silver in 1996. Defending champion Lee Lai Shan of Hong Kong, usually called San-San, placed sixth.