TOKYO (WAVY) — Sailing entered its seventh day on Saturday at the Tokyo Olympics with heartbreak for an athlete with ties to Hampton Roads.
Over the weekend, 49erFX athletes Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.), a graduate of Old Dominion University, and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, Ill.) competed in the final three races of the 12-race qualifying series prior to Monday’s medal race.
According to a story from Will Ricketson on the US sailing site, Roble and Shea were in 6th overall and 15 points from 3rd at the beginning of the day.
Roble and Shea had a strong start in race 10 sailing through rough conditions.
However, the duo finished 14th when they received a “career-first yellow flag penalty” from the umpires for a Rule 42 breach which refers to the “improper moving of their bodies to propel the boat in the very light conditions.”
Roble and Shea crossed the line in 8th in Race 11, but when they approached the umpires to get more information, according to the story, the two were informed that they had been scored DNE (Do Not Exclude) for both incurring a second yellow flag penalty for Rule 42 and for failing to retire from the race.
Roble and Shea were left in 11th overall, three points from advancing to the medal race, and at the end of their regatta.
The duo entered the event having medaled at the most recent 49erFX Class World Championship in 2019.