Tokyo (AFP)

The Tokyo Olympics title hopes remain intact for the 470 women's crew made up of Camille Lecointre, bronze medalist in Rio and her new partner Aloïse Retornaz, after Friday's regattas in Enoshima.

With a lighter wind than the previous days (6 knots), the French women won the initial round and then finished 12th, their worst result in six regattas which is therefore subtracted from the total.

With 17 points, they are only 3 points behind the British Hannah Mills / Eilidh McIntyre in 2nd position and 7 behind the Polish leaders Agnieszka Skrzypulec / Jolanta Ogar.

Continuation of the races Sunday and Monday and "medal race" Wednesday.

The situation is more complicated for Jérémie Mion and Kévin Peponnet, 8th overall, on this double dinghy, on which Thierry Peponnet, Kévin's uncle, had become Olympic champion in 1988 in Seoul, associated with Luc Pillot.

Despite a good 2nd place in the second regatta of the day, Peponnet / Mion are already 11 points behind the 3rd and 14 pts on the 2nd.

The Australians Mathew Belcher / Will Ryan, Olympic vice-champions in 2016, came out on top.

Belcher has already won gold in 2012 in London with another partner.

- few hopes for Bernaz -

In Laser, the Varois Jean-Baptiste Bernaz who is playing his 4th Games and is still chasing a medal, qualified for the "medal race" scheduled for Sunday and can still mathematically win bronze, gold and silver being out. range.

But with a 9th place 16 points from the bronze, it would take an unlikely scenario for him to dislodge from the 3rd beach the current occupant, the Croatian Tonci Stipanovic, silver medalist in Rio.

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In Laser Radial, for her first Games, the Breton Marie Bolou, never really in the rhythm, was eliminated, finishing 11th.

The Dutch Marit Bouwmeester, titled in 2016, will start Sunday in the "medal race" with the hope of an Olympic double.

Dutch sailing is doing well, with a title already secured on Saturday in the RS: X men's board, as in Rio.

The days go by and look the same for the crew of the 49er tricolor.

Emile Amoros and Lucas Rual, with a 15th then a 10th place, are already far, in 15th place after 9 races out of 12.

Among women, Lili Sebesi and Albane Dubois, 4th at the 2020 Worlds, did less well than Wednesday (15th and 14th), to fall one row to 7th place overall, already 19 points from the bronze medal.

Saturday, on the RS: X board, at 3.33 p.m. local time, Charline Picon, 36, titled in Rio can dream of doubling while Thomas Goyard (from 2.33 p.m.) for his first Olympics will fight for silver or bronze.

© 2021 AFP