WEYMOUTH, England (AP) — Xu Lijia of China won the gold medal in women’s Laser Radial in sailing on Monday despite having to do a penalty turn on the first downwind leg.
Xu, who won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, quickly rebounded from being penalized for rocking the boat and opened a comfortable lead sailing on the Nothe Course on Weymouth Bay.
The medals race came down to four sailors with a chance at gold. Xu, Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands, Annalise Murphy of Ireland and Evi Van Acker of Belgium came into the final race separated by only one point.
Bouwmeester took the silver and Van Acker the bronze.
Murphy finished fourth and failed to win a medal after winning the first four races, including three in which she led at every mark.
