Tokyo (AFP)

Camille Lecointre and Aloïse Retornaz, second before the final Olympic regatta of 470 scheduled for Wednesday, can offer a third medal in French sailing at the Tokyo Olympics.

Returning from Rio-2016 with a title (Charline Picon) and two bronze medals, the French sailors are currently at two silver medals on the Enoshima lake, thanks to the same Charline Picon and to Thomas Goyard, both windsurfing RS: X.

"Mathematically we can certainly still aim for the title, but it will be very complicated", reacted Camille Lecointre who had won bronze in Brazil, on the same boat, but with another partner, Hélène Defrance.

"It will also be necessary to watch the boats which are behind and which are close, anything is possible", she added after the two races on Tuesday.

In the aftermath of a windless day when all the regattas had been postponed, the busy program (4 finals) was marked by the two British titles with Giles Scott in Finn, already titled in Rio, and the victory over a wire in 49er of Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell, depriving New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of a brace.

A silver medal in Nacra 17 was added to this British raid.

The samba also resonated thanks to the Brazilians Martine Greal and Kahena Kunze, now double Olympic champions in 49er FX, after their title in Rio.

The young women, as in Rio, were carried in triumph, on their boat, by the whole Auriverde team.

In the Nacra 17 catamaran, the Italians opened their sailing counter thanks to Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti.

Note also the three medals of the day for Germany and the first for Spain.

- Disappointment for Peponnet / Mion -

On the eve of a crucial regatta, the French duo Lecointre / Retornaz is overtaken by the British Sarah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre and can still theoretically aim for gold, even if the gap is large.

But the two young women can also leave without a medal as the race is so close between six teams.

The Polish, Slovenian, Brazilian and Swiss women follow in order in the general classification.

In a wind of 7 to 8 knots, Camille Lecointre, licensed in Brest (Finistère), and Aloïse Retornaz, in Sables d'Olonne (Vendée) finished on Tuesday in 10th and 4th places respectively.

The "medal race" of 470 women is scheduled for Wednesday at 3:33 pm local (08:33 French), at the end of the sailing events.

That of the men will be disputed an hour earlier without the French Kévin Peponnet and Jérémie Mion, however ambitious arrived after their recent European title in Villamoura (Portugal).

By finishing 13th and 16th on Tuesday, the French fell one place, finishing 11th, sidelined from the final for a place.

The last French Olympic champions in this series are Luc Pillot and Tiherry Peponnet, uncle of Kévin.

In 49er FX, for their first Games, Lili Sebesi and Albane Dubois, who had been assured late of their Olympic selection, signed a ninth place final.

After a good start to the Games (4th), Sebesi, who grew up in Guadeloupe and Dubois who discovered sailing in Bray-Dunes (North), alternated the good and the less good but give an appointment in three years for the JO-2024 whose sailing events will take place in Marseille, where they train.

© 2021 AFP