Lutz/Buick brings Olympic silver | free press

Enoshima (dpa) – Tina Lutz and Susan Buick finished off the Olympic medal dip for German sailors. The duo of Holzhausen and Strande advanced over Enoshima in the FX 49er class medal race with a fifth from third to second overall and a silver medal.

It was the German women’s first precious metal since Amelie Lux won the silver medal in surfing before Sydney in 2000.

In the final race, Brazil’s Martin Grill/Kahina Konzi took the gold, as they did in Rio 2016. Bronze went to Annemecke Breakering/Annette Deutz of the Netherlands.

Silver party on board

After crossing the finish line, 30-year-old helmsman Tina Lutz and same-year-old crew member Susan Buick begin their silver party. They hugged and cried with joy. At the port, their team greeted them enthusiastically.

With their success in the area where Willie Cowhide won the gold 57 years ago, they ended a career, marked by low hits and highs. During their 14 years of their boat partnership, the two-time European champion had to show the ability to ride the boat multiple times. Lutz’s motto has always been: “It will pay off at some point.”

In 2012, the Bavarian-North German crew missed the 470th Olympics, including a thrilling march to the court. Four years later she had to concede defeat at 49er FX in the Olympic indoor disqualification against Rio’s later IX Vicki Jurczok and Anika Lorenz of Berlin.

The broken sliver nearly cost the start of the Olympics

A shrapnel break for Susan Buick at the start of 2020 – in the middle of the national qualifiers – nearly prevented Olympic participation in Japan. Meanwhile, Lotta Wiemers jumped from Kiel to Beucke, along with Lutz at the World Cup in Australia, ensuring not to lose too many points in the fencing against permanent rivals Jurczok/Anika Lorenz.

With the successful qualification for the Olympics in Japan and a second European Championship title last year, all fears and doubts have disappeared.