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First US race win in Olympic regatta comes in 49erFX class

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — With their ponytails flapping and their American flag spinnaker billowing in the breeze, Paris Henken and Helena Scutt sped across Guanabara Bay and became the first U.S. crew to win a race at the Rio Olympics regatta.

Henken, of Coronado, California, and Scutt, of Kirkland, Washington, jumped into the lead at the start and flawlessly sailed their 49erFX skiff around the course to win the fifth race of the series Saturday.

"It was definitely something that we wanted to do, and was in the back of our minds, like, 'Oh, we should win a race in the Olympics,'" Henken said.