Four Of The Best Advance To Semi Finals

London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition - Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain

Eight became four today as the Australian, Finnish, Russian and Spanish Women’s Match Racing teams moved forward to the Semi Finals.

Whilst they celebrate, it’s heartache and commiserations for the other four teams who bow out.

Two time ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Champion Claire Leroy was the first to be sent packing as Tamara Echegoyen made light work of the former World #1. Coming into the day with a 2-0 lead the Spaniard beat Leroy by 14 seconds to round off a comfortable 3-0 victory.

After a great Quarter Final Echegoyen said, "We were more aggressive in the downwind and that is good for us. We were able to try different things. All the teams are very good and work hard and in the semifinals we will have to work hard again."

The shock results didn’t end there as World #1 and ISAF World Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) was knocked out of the competition by current ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Champion Silja Lehtinen (FIN). The flying Fin came into the day with a 2-0 advantage but Tunnicliffe reduced the deficit to one. However in the fourth flight Lehtinen pipped her to the post by two seconds.

Renee Groeneveld (NED) proved yesterday that Australia’s Olivia Price (AUS) can be beaten. But it was business as usual for the Australians as they took two comfortable race wins today to advance.

Ekaterina Skudina (RUS) and Lucy Macgregor (GBR) delivered a nail biting finish with it all on the line in the final flight. In the end the Brits said goodbye to their dream of winning a medal on home waters as Skudina sailed her way to the finish line first and securing her third point.

Price will take on Lehtinen in the first of the Semi Finals whilst Echegoyen goes against Skudina.

The Semi-Finals take place on Friday 10 August with a sail off for places 5-8 on the Nothe Course tomorrow.

Complete Results: www.sailing.org/olympics/london2012/results_centre.php

Follow all the action on the ISAF Olympic Live Blog which will bring competition updates and instant reactions to the action on the race course. Fans can check in and ask our media team questions to get the very latest information. The blog will start one hour before racing each and every day of the competition.

ISAF Olympic Website: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/london2012/home.php

You can also follow live @WIMRA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WIMRA for live updating exclusively of the women’s match racing.