Denmark was confirmed winner of 49er gold position when the official results were released after 19 hours of waiting on a protest decision affecting Sunday's medal race.

Jonas Warrer and Martin Ibsen of Denmark won the gold medal with 61 points. 2004 Athens 49er medalists Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez of Spain took the silver with 64 points while German brothers Jan-Peter Peckolt and Hannes Peckolt claimed bronze with 66 points.

The Danish team were protested by the Race Committee for sailing the medal race in a boat borrowed from the Croat crew, who were not competing in the medal race, after the mast on the Danish 49er snapped shortly before the start, according to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

After a Jury hearing that ran late till 00:50 on Monday and then continued this morning, John Doerr, chair of the Jury panel that heard the hearing, confirmed shortly before midday today, that the protest had been dismissed and the provisional results were made official.

The full decision and a statement from the Jury will be published after today's medal races, according to ISAF.

Earlier on Sunday, an enthralling medal race provided a dramatic finish at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center with a big swell and stormy conditions with gusts up of 20 knots and more. The Austrians led for much of the race, with the Italians in second and the Australians third.

This put the Australians and Italians in a battle for gold and when the Austrians crashed up, the Australians took the lead and the Italians capsized, it looked like gold would go to the Australians. However they capsized close to the finish on the final run, the Spanish kept their boat upright and crossed the line in first.

Due to the official race results being delayed, the medal ceremony for the 49er competition will take place late on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)