Smidova cuts Olympic qualification close after poor finish in Portugal

The Czech Republic's only ever winner of an Olympic medal in sailing now has only one chance to reach the 2008 games in Beijing. Lenka Smidova and her partner Veronika Fenclova finished a poor 36th in a regatta in Portugal which could have guaranteed them qualification. That means the pair, who began sailing together this year, must do well at next year's World Championships in Melbourne in order to take one of five remaining Olympic berths.