Spain, Netherlands win first Paris Olympics sailing gold medals; US gets 1st sailing medal since Rio

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — In what sailors called the first “normal wind" day of the 2024 Olympics, Spain and the Netherlands won gold medals in the men's and women's skiffs on Friday, while the United States snagged its first Olympic sailing medal since Rio eight years ago.

Fickle winds forced medal races for the skiffs known as 49er and 49erFX — powerful, bird-like two-person boats — to be abandoned on Thursday in Marseille.

On Friday, the women's race started on time just after noon and had a wild finish for the Dutch team of Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz, who entered with the second-best score.

They thought they had cruised past the finish line but hadn’t realized the race committee had changed the course, and the line was on the other side of the committee boat. They quickly corrected course and crossed the right line, but lost time doing so. They looked puzzled and covered their faces for a few tense minutes before officials determined they had enough for gold anyway.

“When we crossed the finish line we thought we won gold, but we didn’t hear the horn,” said van Aanholt, 26. “It's been a week of very different winds. It showcases you can't be a one-start pony.”

Sweden got the silver and France took bronze.

In the men's race, Diego Botín and Florian Trittel won Spain's first Olympic sailing gold since London 2012 in their boat "Samatha," or “calm” in the Buddhist practice they follow.

"Maybe more the effort to be calm, rather than the calm, won," quipped Botín, 33, who competed in the same class in Rio and Tokyo. "It's an incredible sensation to have worked so many years for something and to have failed so often on the way ... it couldn't be better.”

“It was hard to even dream about it,” added Trittel, who sailed a different class in the Tokyo Olympics.

The United States men's skiff team, Ian Barrows of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hans Henken of San Francisco, was even more stunned by their surprise podium that stopped a drought for the Americans.

“It was just disbelief, honestly,” said Henken, 32.

“The whole fleet is so good that we knew we had a chance, but we knew things had to go our way,” said Barrows, 29.

The men’s silver went to New Zealand’s Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie.

“This is something we've worked really hard for for the last seven years,” McHardie said. “To come home with a silver for New Zealand is undescribable.”

It's been challenging for all teams to deal with 12 regattas since Sunday that were often delayed by the lack of wind, leaving sailors to broil in the water for new start times under a punishing sun.

Sweden's silver medal-winning team of Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler sang out “amazing” in unison as they walked the beach swathed in their flag, their faces bright red in the hazy heat. They later planned to party with the Dutch gold medalists to the tune of ABBA's “Dancing Queen” — the name of the Swedish team's boat.

The women's bronze went to Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon of France — the “mama team,” as they call themselves since both have children, who cheered them on their fathers’ shoulders from the marina’s breakwater.

“When you do something with passion and determination, nothing is impossible,” Picon said of combining motherhood with Olympic glory.

The French team also got some more hardware on Friday — their longtime partners proposed marriage after the race, as they had promised they would if they won a medal.

“But mine said only gold or silver, so I wasn't sure,” joked Steyeart, turning the ring around her finger.

Medal races for windsurfing, scheduled for Friday, were pushed back to Saturday because of the variable winds. A windsurfing “marathon” Wednesday was abandoned more than an hour into it.

Also starting on Friday was a new sailing event, the mixed-gender dinghy called 470 — introduced this year to even out medal opportunities between men and women for the first time. And the men's and women's dinghies continued their races, too, making for quite a crowd in Marseille's beautiful, monument-fringed bay.

In sailing, points are accumulated over multiple regattas over multiple days, with the medal races usually counting for double points.

In windsurfing, where the rules are a bit different, two athletes have made it far enough into the rankings to be guaranteed a medal — Emma Wilson of Britain and Grae Morris of Austrialia. Everyone else is still in the cliffhanger.

The uncertainty makes the delays and abandoned races particularly painful, and the heat also takes a physical toll as athletes try to be switched on for the peak moment of their career — and relaxed enough not to waste physical and mental energy on what they can't control.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Fans watch the women's skiff race on a screen at the Olympic marina during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Elia Colombo of Switzerland carries his windsurf board after the men's windsurfing medal race was postponed until Saturday due to lack of wind during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Poland athletes pack up a windsurf board after the men's windsurfing medal race was postponed until Saturday due to lack of wind during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Marta Maggetti of Italy carries her windsurf board after the women's windsurfing medal race was postponed until Saturday due to lack of wind during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Ian Barrows and Hans Henken of the United States, left, and Florian Trittel Paul and Diego Botin Le Chever of Spain compete in a men's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Vilma Bobeck, right, and Rebecca Netzler of Sweden celebrate winning the silver medal in the women's skiff race at the Olympic marina during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Florian Trittel Paul and Diego Botin Le Chever of Spain celebrate clinching the gold medal in the men's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Ian Barrows and Hans Henken of the United States celebrate clinching the bronze medal in the men's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Florian Trittel Paul and Diego Botin Le Chever of Spain celebrate clinching the gold medal in the men's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Annette Duetz, right, and Odile Aanholt of the Netherlands celebrate winning the gold medal in the women's skiff race at the Olympic marina during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Spectators watch a women's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Boats start a women's skiff race, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Authorities searched a rugged, hilly area of southeastern Kentucky on Sunday for a man suspected of shooting 12 vehicles and wounding five people on a busy interstate.

Joseph A. Couch, 32, was named a suspect in Saturday’s shootings on Interstate 75 after authorities said they recovered his SUV on a service road near the crime scene. They later found a semi-automatic weapon nearby that they believe was used in the shooting, said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

The search was focused on a remote area north of London, a community of about 8,000 people some 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.

“Where is he? That’s the big question right now,” Acciardo told reporters as law enforcement searched a heavily wooded area before sunset. "We’re still in there. We still feel like that he’s in there or we obviously wouldn’t be searching wholeheartedly like we are.”

The search was temporarily suspended after nightfall Sunday evening, but was set to resume early Monday morning.

“We've not had any luck so far, no trace so far, no information or evidence that's at the scene to indicate that he's there. But we believe that he's there,” Acciardo said.

State Police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington, a spokesman for the London state police post, said additional troopers are being brought in from around the state to bolster the manhunt.

At an evening press conference, authorities sought to reassure residents that they believe the suspect will be found.

“We're doing everything that we can do,” said Laurel County Sheriff John Root, adding, ”Just be confident."

Couch most recently lived in Woodbine, a small community about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the shooting scene. Acciardo said authorities found his abandoned vehicle Saturday and then an AR-15 rifle on Sunday in a wooded area near a highway where “he could have shot down upon the interstate from." A phone believed to be Couch’s was found by law enforcement, but the battery had been taken out.

Authorities said Couch purchased the gun and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition Saturday morning in London. Couch has a military background, having served in the National Guard for at least four years, said Captain Richard Dalrymple of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

Couch was initially considered a person of interest in the case until he was upgraded to a suspect on Sunday, Acciardo said.

Authorities believe there was only one shooter. Acciardo said the shooting appeared to involve some planning but seemed to be a “random act” of violence in which no particular person was targeted. He wouldn't speculate as to a possible motive.

Authorities were notified at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday about gunshots near the interstate's exit 49. An individual who was “off that exit” fired multiple rounds into the northbound and southbound lanes. Authorities initially said nine vehicles were struck by gunfire, but later increased that number to 12, saying some people did not realize their cars had been hit by bullets until they arrived home. Dalrymple said the gunman fired a total of 20 to 30 rounds.

The gunman was not in a vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The wounded — one person from Kentucky and others from out of state — were hospitalized in stable condition Sunday. Some had “very serious” injuries, including one person shot in the face, Acciardo said.

Residents of Laurel County were on edge as authorities searched with a drone, helicopter and on foot in a remote and sparsely populated wooded area near the highway.

Cody Shepherd, sipping a bloody mary outdoors while waiting to watch a football game at the Pour Boyz Sports Lounge in London on Sunday, said locals were abuzz with speculation. A resident of London, he was at a party Saturday at a friend’s house about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of where the shooting occurred.

“We were listening to the police scanners all night,” he said, adding they heard sirens and saw a helicopter overhead.

On Sunday, several local churches canceled services. But Rodney Goodlett, pastor of Faith Assembly of God in London, was helping direct traffic as parishioners gathered for a morning service. He expected the search would hold down attendance.

“This is tragic, obviously, that somebody would randomly do violent acts,” he said. “You hear media things taking place all around our country, but then when it hits home, it’s a little bit of a wake-up call.”

Authorities released a photo of Couch and warned residents he was believed to be armed and dangerous.

According to Kentucky state court records, Couch was charged in February with misdemeanor “terroristic threatening." However, the charge was dismissed when a victim failed to appear in court. In 2015, Couch was sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted of criminal mischief and unlawful transactions with a minor. Couch also has had a handful of traffic violations and a public intoxication conviction in 2020.

Acciardo said the search is dangerous for first responders and is painstaking because of thick foliage. There are “a lot of woods, a lot of cuts in the rock," he said. “He could be hiding behind a tree and us walk right up on him.”

—

Associated Press journalist John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kansas.

Trees stand in wooded areas alongside Interstate 75 near Livingston, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, as police search for a suspect in a shooting Saturday along the Interstate. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Trees stand in wooded areas alongside Interstate 75 near Livingston, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, as police search for a suspect in a shooting Saturday along the Interstate. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

London, Ky. Mayor Randall Weddle makes comments to the media regarding the shooting that happened near his town along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

London, Ky. Mayor Randall Weddle makes comments to the media regarding the shooting that happened near his town along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

London, Ky. Mayor Randall Weddle makes comments to the media regarding the shooting that happened near his town along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Cody Shepherd talks about all of the rumors that circulated following a shooting on Saturday along Interstate 75 near London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Rodney Goodlett, Pastor of the Faith Assembly Church, gives his reaction to the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Rodney Goodlett, Pastor of the Faith Assembly Church, reacts to the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, public information officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, on the progress of the investigation into the shooting along Interstate 75 on Saturday in London, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, public information officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, on the progress of the investigation into the shooting along Interstate 75 on Saturday in London, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, public information officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, on the progress of the investigation into the shooting along Interstate 75 on Saturday in London, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, public information officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, on the progress of the investigation into the shooting along Interstate 75 on Saturday in London, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, Public information Officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details on the progress of the investigation of the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, Public information Officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives an update on the progress of the search for the suspect linked to the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

This image released by the Mount Vernon Fire Department shows traffic stopped during an active shooting on Interstate 75 north of London, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Camden Mink/Mount Vernon Fire Department via AP)

This image released by Kentucky’s London Police Department shows Joseph A. Couch, a person of interest in the Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, shootings on Interstate 75 near London, Ky. (London Police Department via AP)

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, Public information Officer with the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, gives details on the progress of the investigation of the shooting along I-75 in London, Ky., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)