Team GB are on fire in the sailing, as always
Team GB is having yet another fine day in Tokyo 2020 as they notch the third medal in just a couple of hours. That’s right, after former rivals Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell teamed up to take gold in the 49er class, Giles Scott has successfully retained his Olympic title, while Anna Burnet and John Gimson went on to take the silver in the Mixed Nacra.
Scott’s title-defence finished in an equally tense fashion to Fletcher and Bithell before him. The 34-year-old was guaranteed a medal going into the double points finale but fell back into sixth place during the course of the race. He only clinched gold in the final 20 metres, pushing through to finish in fourth place.
This was Scott’s second consecutive Olympic gold medal and Team GB’s sixth successive gold in the event. Incredible stuff.
https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1422439640536076295?s=20
As for Burnet and Gimson, they also crossed the line in fifth in the final race to see a consistent and professional performance all week rewarded with the silver medal.
That’s three medals not just in the space of a day but a matter of just a couple of hours! Sailing really is Team GB’s sport, isn’t it?
Third sailing medal of the day for #TeamGB@TEAMGBNACRA have had a brilliant week at #Tokyo2020
🎥 @BBCSport https://t.co/UQJPsizC3X
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 3, 2021
No nation has won more in Olympic sailing events than Great Britain and, better still, we are expected to bring home a fourth sailing gold on Wednesday, with Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre holding a lead still favourites to win the women’s 470.
These wins take Team GB’s gold medal tally to 13, moving us up to fifth in the overall medals table above ROC (Russia).
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