Sports

Sailing: Amanda Clark’s Olympic medal hopes dealt big blow

COURTESY PHOTO | Shelter Island’s own Amanda Clark, background, is now through five of 10 races in the 2012 Olympics.

Shelter Island’s own Olympian, Amanda Clark, was dealt a huge setback in her bid for an Olympic medal Sunday when her team finished 19th and 20th, respectively, in the fifth and sixth races of the Women’s 470 competition

The U.S. team, which also includes crew Sara Lihan, was in fourth place after two days of competition, but they dropped to eighth following Sunday’s two races. The team must be in the top 10 of the event standings after Race 10 Wednesday to qualify for the medal race on Friday.

Clark and Lihan are nine points ahead of 11th place Japan, currently the top team out of the medal race. The Americans are now 20 points behind third place the Netherlands for the bronze position.

In Olympic sailing, points are awarded based on how you finish. Finish first, you’re awarded one point. Come in second, you score two points, etc. Each team’s worse race is thrown out before the medal round. The team with the lowest point total at the end of the medal race, when points double, is the winner.

So far, Clark and Lihan’s worst race was the second one Sunday, when they finished dead last.

After a day off Monday, the team will race twice Tuesday before the final two qualifying races Wednesday.

Races can be viewed live at www.nbcolympics.com.