Heading into the homestretch of the sailing competition at the Rio Paralympics, the United States trio, which includes a Maine native, is in the thick of the medal hunt.
South Freeport native Hugh Freund and teammates Rick Doerr and Brad Kendall had a pair of solid runs on Wednesday, finishing in second place in the first race before following that up with a third-place effort in the second race.
Competitors were welcomed by a stiff breeze, and the U.S. trio vaulted from seventh place to second by the end of the day on Wednesday.
The Americans had accumulated 34 points, with Australia well ahead with 20 points. Great Britain sits eight points behind the U.S. in third.
The competition resumed Thursday with three races.
The U.S. squad finished third in the opening race of the day while following that up with a seventh-place effort. The Americans saved their best effort for the final race of the day, coming in second.
The Americans remained in second place in the overall standings behind Australia at the end of Thursday’s competition.
Three races remain in the competition, which is scheduled to conclude on Saturday.
