PARIS — It took an extra day, but Ian Barrows can now claim Olympic bragging rights in his family.
The St. Thomas native earned the bronze medal in the men’s skiff class this morning after finishing fourth in the double-points medal race in Marseille, France.
The 29-year-old Barrows and teammate Hans Henken – competing for the United States – rode a solid start and race performance, as well as some bad luck by several medal challengers, to their fourth top-five finish of the week in Marseille Harbor on France’s Mediterranean coast.
Spain’s Diego Botin and Florian Trittel won the medal race – the duo’s first race win of the week – to finish atop the standings and claim the gold medal with 70 points, 12 better than New Zealand’s Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie (82), who earned the silver medal.
St. Thomas’ Ian Barrows, left rear, and teammate Hans Henken — both competing for the United States — lean over the side of their 49er class sailboat during a preliminary race in the men’s skiff class at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Marseille, France. Barrows and Henken earned the bronze medal Friday with a fourth-place finish in the medal race. (World Sailing photo by SANDER VAN DER BORCH)
Barrows and Henken finished with 88 points to take the bronze medal, finishing three points ahead of Ireland’s Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (91), who were second in the standings entering the medal race. However, they struggled out of the gate Friday, and finished ninth in the medal race.
Barrows becomes the sixth athlete born in the U.S. Virgin Islands to earn an Olympic medal, joining St. Croix’s Ray Seales (boxing, gold, 1972), St. Thomas’ Peter Holmberg (sailing, silver, 1988), St. Croix’s Tim Duncan (men’s basketball, bronze, 2004), St. Thomas’ Megan Hodge (women’s volleyball, silver, 2012), and St. Thomas’ Daryl Homer (fencing, silver, 2016).
However, only Holmberg earned a medal representing the U.S. Virgin Islands – and remains the territory’s only medalist at the Olympic Games. All the others were competing for the United States when they earned their medals.
By BILL KISER/V.I. Daily News