TEAM GB ace Micky Beckett has seen his Olympic medal chances disappear – after he was on the brink of bronze.
Beckett needed to finish four places ahead of Peru’s Stefano Peschiera in the double points medal race to claim third behind dominant Aussie Matt Wearn.
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That looked to be a certainty as he was second at the third of four “mark” buoys with his rival way adrift.
But with just minutes left in the race and Beckett on course for the podium, the judges abandoned the heat, citing the shifting winds.
When they returned to a new start line on a different course off Marseille harbour just under an hour later, it all went south for Beckett – who was forced to make THREE penalty 360 degree turns.
The first was right at the beginning of the race, with Beckett penalised for “rocking” – moving the boat too much from side to side to build up speed.
By the first mark, Beckett was up to sixth, two places ahead of the Peruvian in the race but a point adrift in the overall standings.
But he picked up ANOTHER penalty on the downwind run to the second mark – only for the Peruvian to ALSO be penalised.
And another penalty on the run to the final mark saw Beckett drop to the back of the fleet and down to sixth overall, with no way back as Peschiera took the bronze.
The BBC’s commentary team labelled it “heartbreaking to watch” as Beckett’s medal chances sailed away with fans equally gutted.
One said: “Mickey Beckett (Dinghy) virtually had the silver in his hands … & they stopped the race.
“Restart – they gave him an immediate penalty It’s f***ikg outrageous.”
Another fumed: “I feel sorry for Mickey Beckett man… he had a great lead and going in the early race before abandonment and he got stuff.
“I don’t see the difference in wind from before until this race…. So annoying.”