Tokyo Olympics: Team GB sailors Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre win 470 gold
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Team GB sailors Mills and McIntyre win 470 gold
Tokyo Olympic Games on the BBC |
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Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and Sounds; live text and video clips on BBC Sport website and app. |
Hannah Mills became the most successful female sailor in Olympic history as she and Eilidh McIntyre won 470 gold at Tokyo 2020.
They finished fifth in the medal race, but their earlier performances meant it was enough to hold off silver medallists Poland and France in bronze.
Mills, one of Team GB's flag bearers at the opening ceremony, won gold in the class in Rio and silver at London 2012.
GB have now won five sailing medals in Tokyo, three of which are gold.
McIntyre, 27, follows in the footsteps of her father, Mike, who won sailing gold in the star class at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Earlier, Britain's Chris Grube and London 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience finished fifth overall in the men's 470.
They had sat in second place after eight races but dropped to fifth before the medal race, in which they crossed the line in seventh.
Mills and McIntyre add to sailing success
Mills, 33, and McIntyre dominated the regatta at Enoshima Yacht Harbour, winning two races and recording a further six top four finishes to take a 14-point lead into Wednesday's medal race.
It was enough to ensure they only needed to finish in the top seven, and they sat in second for much of the medal race behind race winners Switzerland.
They slipped down into fifth after the third mark, remaining in that position as they crossed the finish line.
However, their celebrations were temporarily put on hold after France lodged a protest against Great Britain.
But it was quickly dismissed, confirming Mills and McIntyre as Olympic champions.
Mills paired up with McIntyre after Saskia Clark - Mills' crew at the 2012 and 2016 Games - retired after Rio, and they went on to win world gold in 2019.
Their Olympic victory comes a day after Britain's Giles Scott retained his Finn title and Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell won 49er gold.
Britain's tally of five medals is one shy of their record haul from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, when they won six medals, including four golds.