Olympics-Sailing-49er controversy goes on as Spain protest again

By Justin Palmer

QINGDAO, China, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Controversy continued to dog the Olympic regatta on Tuesday after the Spanish 49er silver medallists Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez protested again against the gold medal awarded to Denmark's Jonas Warrer and Martin Kirketerp Ibsen.

A protest by the race committee and Spain was rejected by an international jury on Monday, a day after Denmark took gold after an extroardinary medal race in which Warrer and Ibsen sailed in a boat borrowed from the Croatian team after their mast snapped on the way to the start.

The jury said that despite infringement of technical rules, it had decided not to impose penalties as the Danes had not gained an unfair advantage by swapping boats.

A second protest hearing, filed by Spain and Italy, got under way on Tuesday morning. Italian brothers Pietro and Gianfranco Sibello finished fourth overall.

The Danes were presented with their gold medals on Monday.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)