QINGDAO // The Chinese windsurfer Yin Jian took the host nation's first ever Olympic sailing gold medal as she won the women's RS: X class. Alessandra Sensini of Italy won the silver and Bryony Shaw of Great Britain took bronze. The 29-year-old Chinese sailor, who won the silver medal in Athens stunned rivals with three straight wins followed by two third places in the 10-race opening series, before falling off the pace with seventh and eighth places.
Going into the medal race that counts double, Yin had a five-point lead on Sensini and needed at least a fourth-place finish to take gold if Sensini, the three time Olympic medallist, won the final. The Italian took the lead on the fourth leg of today's final, when Yin was down in fifth place. However, on the final leg to the finish, Yin picked up two places to finish third behind Sensini and Shaw and snag the gold medal.
*AP
