Waves crash down on Annalise’s Olympic dream

Annalise Murphy suffered one of Olympic sport’s deepest disappointments when she emerged from the toughest, most exciting medal race of the 2012 Olympic Games Sailing regatta.

The Irish helm arrived ashore distraught. Murphy’s disappointment was heightened because she had led the double points showdown at the first mark and for four of the six legs she was in medal positions which subsequently swapped between silver and bronze.

In the end she lost bronze to the ever-consistent Belgian Evi Van Acker who just had the measure of the Irish sailor in downwind. Murphy attacked and gained, sailing smartly on the upwind legs but on the tight, short downwind legs she consistently lost out.