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Until the country was awarded the Games in 1981, recreational sailing really hadn't taken root in South Korea and the Korea Yachting Association existed in name only. Pusan posed interesting questions about tide in an area for which there was little data and teams had not started the large scale met. programmes that are now considered essential. This is one reason why Britons Mike McIntyre and Bryn Vaile surprised many by taking the gold in Star class, splitting from the fleet and looking for turning tide to win the last race. It was their second win of the series.
Playing into British hands was the fact that American Mark Reynolds and Canadian Ross McDonald both failed to finish the rugged final race. Spain's Jose Luis Doreste made a seamless transition from the 470 in which he'd won gold in 1984 to earn a second gold in the Finn ahead of US Virgin Island Peter Holmberg and Kiwi John Cutler. Two of the all-time greats in the Soling class, Jochen Schumann (from what was still East Germany) and Dane Jesper Bank sandwiched American silver medallist John Kostecki. The Schumann v Bank contest was to run all the through to the final leg of the final race of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after which the Soling was dropped.
By then, Bank had added the 1996 and 2000 gold to his bronze and Schumann a further gold and silver. Brazil celebrated for not only did Torben Grael gain the bronze in the Star, but brother Lars got the same medal in the Tornado class. France had won one medal since 1932 - Serge Maury's Finn gold in 1972- until Thierry Peponnet burst onto the scene and having won the bronze in the 470 class in Los Angeles, together with crew Luc Pilot, Peponnet got the gold in Pusan.
