Qingdao International Regatta, the first official test event for the 2008 Olympics and the biggest regatta ever held in China, greeted its first competition day here on Monday.

Seventeen Olympic medalists in eight events were in the race and most of them sailed fairly we ll.

Vasilij Zbogar, Athens Olympic bronze medalist from Slovenia in laser class, finished third after two races, saying the wind affected him in some degree.

"The wind was shifting and going up and down, so it's quite difficult for our sailors," he said.

"But I feel quite Ok. I am in top three of all. For the first day it's OK. With very hard condition, everybody has some good race and some bad race. For the consequence it's good," he added.

On other competitors in his grade, Zbogar said, "There are many people who can be top three at the Olympics in 2008, and there are some new young guys who still have two years to train and to be good, so it's very hard to say right now."

Ukraine Rodion Luka/Georgiy Leonchuk and British Chris Draper/Simon hiscocks, silver and bronze medalists respectively in 49er class at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, came out fifth and sixth places after three races.

Among the 17 Olympic medalists, Nick Rogers/Joe Glanfield from Britain ranked first with five points in 470 M class. He won a silver in Athens. Austrian Andreas Geritzer, silver medalist in Athens, dropped to 28th place due to an OCS (on the course side of the starting line at start and failed to start) in the second race of laser.

Hosts China did a good job in RS:X M as three sailors finished inside the top 10 after two races. In laser radial, world champion Xu Lijia of China placed seventh after two races.

Source: Xinhua