Kumanan, 49er team continue to lead in Olympic qualifier
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Top Indian sailor Nethra Kumanan's lead at the top dwindled but she continued to hold her position in the Laser Radial event on Day 4 of the Mussanah Open Championship 2021 -- an Asian qualifying event for the Tokyo Olympics.
The team of KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar averaged well after 12 races to retain their nine-point gap over the chasing pack despite some setbacks in the 49er class.
After top-place finishes in both the races on Monday, Kumanan faced tough challenge from Britain's Emma Charlotte and Dutch sailor Jeanne Savelon, finishing third in the seventh race and fifth in the eight to retain a two-point net total lead over her closest rival. While Kumanan is on 15, Savelon is on 17 net total points.
Another Indian in the Laser Radial event, Asian Games bronze medallist Harshita Tomar, put the disappointment of the last two days behind to win both the races. The sailor from Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh rose from seventh spot on Monday to third with 30 net total points, pushing compatriot Ramya Saravanan (32 net total points) to fourth.
In the 49er class, the team of KC Ganapathy (Helm) and Varun Thakkar (Crew) continue to lead after 12 races. In the three races on Tuesday, the duo finished seventh, fifth and fourth respectively but managed to maintain a nine-point gap with the chasing pack.
Indian sailors' standings
Laser Radial class: 1. Nethra Kumanan (15 points net total); 3. Harshita Tomar (30 points net total); 4. Ramya Saravanan (32 points net total); 12. Jayalakshmi Sundaravadivel (77 points net total).
Laser Standard class: 2. Vishnu Saravanan (29 points net total); 7. Upamanyu Dutta (52 points net total); 10. Mohit Saini (64 points net total); 16. Gitesh (93 points net total); 18. Ram Milan Yadav (110 points net total).
49er class: 1. KC Ganapathy/ Varun Thakkar (42 points net total); 10. Prince Noble/Manu Francis (88 points net total); 12. Sandip Jain/Munna Pandit (96 points net total).
49er FX class: 4. Ekta Yadav and Ritika Dangi (37 points net total).
RS:X Men class: 5. Jerome Savarimuthu (47 points net total); 7. Ebad Ali (56 points net total).
RS:X Women class: 3. Ishwariya Ganesh (25 points net total).
