Yet more success on the water for Team GB as John Gimson and Anna Burnet take silver in the mixed Nacra 17 Class following Britain’s double sailing gold in Tokyo
Great Britain’s sailing success continued as John Gimson and Anna Burnet took silver in the mixed Nacra 17 Class in Tokyo.
After Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell secured gold in the 49er FX race and Giles Scott defended his Finn class title, there was another Team GB medal to celebrate.
Olympic debutants Gimson and Burnet were beaten to gold by the Italian crew of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, with Germany’s Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stuhlemmer taking bronze.
They were guaranteed a medal going into the final race and finished safely in fifth to stay in second place overall.
Anna Burnet and John Gimson celebrate their silver medal in the mixed Nacra 17 class event
Olympic debutants Burnet and Gimson pictured out on the water at the Enoshima harbour
It was a superb day on the water for Great Britain as Scott confirmed his status as one of the country’s greatest ever sailors by winning his second Olympic title in the Finn.
The 34-year-old was strongly positioned and already guaranteed a medal going into the double-points decider but he only clinched the gold in the final 20 metres, coming through to take fourth in a heart-stopping finale.
He needed that position because Hungarian Zsombor Berecz, his chief rival, won the race and stood to take the gold before a never-say-day Scott prevailed to live up to his status as firm favourite.
Giles Scott celebrates after reigning supreme in the Finn class at the Tokyo Olympics
Britain have now won this event six consecutive times.
So Scott, the main man in the sailing team and competing in his last Olympics, follows legends Iain Percy (2000) and Sir Ben Ainslie (2004, 2008, 2012) as the undisputed king of the Finn.
Earlier, the first gold medal came in the most dramatic imaginable circumstances, with Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell taking the 49er men’s skiff title by inches.
Fletcher and Bithell had to beat Germany in the medal race and they were duelling it out as the last of four legs came to an end.
Everyone held their breath but the British boat crossed fractionally ahead of the Germans to take the gold on countback from New Zealand, who finished third on the day.
Team GB won their twelfth gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 49er FX sailing
Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell edged out New Zealand in dramatic fashion at Enoshima