Disappointing end for Mansfield and Collins

Royal Cork club mates Mark Mansfield and Killian brought their disappointing Athens campaign to an end today at the Agios Kosmas sailing centre, finishing 15th in the eleventh and final race.

Royal Cork club mates Mark Mansfield and Killian brought their disappointing Athens campaign to an end today at the Agios Kosmas sailing centre, finishing 15th in the 11th and final race.

The Irish Star pairing, as they have done throughout the last seven days of racing, began today's race well, rounding the first marking in seventh.

But their 23ft keelboat, bearing the tricolour, soon faltered in light winds and fell back to finish second last, seven minutes and 15 seconds behind winners Mark Neeleman and Peter van Niekerk of the Netherlands.

Gold medallists Torben Grael and Marcelo Ferreira did not have to compete today, and ended the Star campaign with a 42-point total. Canadian pair Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs won silver with 51.2. France's Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau took bronze with 54.

Mansfield and Collins finished on an overall total of 125, in last of seventeen, and were almost thankful that their Athens nightmare is finally at an end.

"It's just been one of the worst weeks of racing for us," said 26-year-old Collins. "But we'll be back. It's been very disappointing not to be able to build on finishing eighth at the Europeans. But it's my first Olympics, Mark's fourth and it's been another great experience."

Mansfield and Collins went into these Games ranked fifth in the world, after finishing a heartening eleventh at the World Star championships in Gaeta, Italy.