What used to be seen as the radical option looks conservative compared with the formats being used to decide the medals in the new foiling fleets. In the Formula Kiteboard divisions, neither the Men’s leader Theo de Ramecourt (FRA) or Lauriane Nolot (FRA) at the head of the Women’s fleet have any guarantee of the podium on the final day. Despite both athletes having raced a stellar regatta up to the end of qualifying, anyone as far down as 14th in the current standings could go on to win kitefoiling gold. This is the highest level of final-day jeopardy ever seen in Olympic competition.

However, de Ramecourt doesn’t see it so starkly. “As the winner of qualifying I carry two ‘race wins’ into the final,” he says. The boards contest a four-board final where it’s the first to three wins. “So if I win a race in the final, I become the overall winner. I think it is a fair system.” The second-placed athlete in qualifying, Benoit Gomez (FRA), takes through one race win. Two other riders from 3rd to 14th will fight it out for the right to go up against de Ramecourt and Gomez, but will have no ‘race wins’ to take through with them. So the deck is stacked in de Ramecourt’s favour, yet still no medal secured until he gets that race win.

Full article: https://www.sailing.org/2022/04/09/final-day-jeopardy/