Tokyo 2020: Team GB's Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre win sailing gold after anxious wait

'I basically fell apart,' Eilidh McIntyre described what went through her mind when GB's win was being contested

Team GB's Hannah Mills has become the most decorated female Olympic sailor in history after winning gold with Eilidh McIntyre in the women’s 470 class at Tokyo 2020.

Mills and McIntyre have dominated the regatta at Enoshima, winning two races and only twice finishing outside the top four, and they went into the medal race with a 14-point lead.

That meant they only needed to finish in the top seven to clinch gold and they were never in any danger, crossing the line comfortably in fifth.

They faced an anxious wait for the result to be ratified after a protest from France but that was dismissed, with Mills and McIntyre confirmed in gold.

Mills summed up her feelings in a press conference: "Just exhausted. It's been such a long week.

"Massive relief that we've come here and done what we set out to do and just really proud to be here sharing the podium with these two awesome teams as well."

Asked about her plans for the future, Hannah Mills said she does not know if she will continue sailing competitively

Asked what her plans for the future are and whether she would continue competing in sailing, she said: "I don't know. I've been trying not to think too far in the future, just get this event done and do as well as we can.

"Like the girls said, it's a decision that affects your whole family and... I don't know, we'll have to see."

Separately, she told PA: “It definitely could be my last ever race."

She suggested she hopes to move on to raising awareness of environmental sustainability and the amount of plastic in oceans.

She told the press conference: "I think where we sailed the plastic problem is really visible. There's lots of tide lines out there, which is where all the rubbish and the seawood congregates. So we see it, it's there.

"It's pretty heartbreaking to see. But it's everywhere. It's not just Japan, it's everywhere and it's not one country's problem."

Mills, who carried the British flag at the opening ceremony with rower Mohamed Sbihi, won silver in London and gold in Rio with Saskia Clark in the same boat.

Meanwhile, it is the first Olympic medal for McIntyre, whose father Mike was the gold medallist in the Star class at the Seoul Games in 1988.

The 27-year-old said she had her father’s medal hanging on the wall outside her bedroom growing up and that he had been "my inspiration my entire life”.

McIntyre said of her own gold medal win: "It's been a bit of whirlwind to be honest. I'm just so overwhelmed and excited and happy and I dreamt of this my entire life. With a gold medal at home, it's just been everything I ever wanted."

Describing what went through her mind when the French protested their win, she said: "Thank goodness Hannah kept it together 'cause I basically fell apart. I was in a bit of shock to be honest. I've got the utmost respect for these guys (French team) and the Polish girls and it just felt heartbreaking in that moment."

She added that she and the French team "hugged it out" at the podium.

Asked if she had spoken to her gold medallist father yet, she said: "No. I'm just in a bit of whirlwind to be honest. I honestly can't wait to phone home.

Hannah Mills is the 'greatest champion of all time', McIntyre said. She also described how her phone has 'gone berserk with messages'

"I know there was literally hundreds of people at my home club this morning watching and my phone's just gone berserk with messages and yeah, I can't wait to call them."

Mills' mum Fiona Mills spoke of her “absolute joy and ecstasy” and said she had experienced a “mixture of emotions” after a protest was lodged in the race but then dismissed.

Speaking at Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, Mrs Mills said her daughter had worked “so hard” throughout her sailing career and was now inspiring young sailors.

She said: “She’s always wanted to do it, she’s always loved it – I’ve never, ever had to force her to go and train or go to a competition, because she’s just loved it.

“Her brother is watersports manager here at Cardiff Bay Yacht Club and some of his little people just say ‘we just want to be like Hannah’ and Hannah just wanted to be like (Team GB’s most successful men’s Olympic yachtsman) Ben Ainslie.”

McIntyre’s fiance Jonny Forer, from Old Portsmouth, said: “It’s absolutely amazing, it’s such a moment for her, it’s always been her dream. I’m so proud of her.

“It was spoilt a bit at the end by the French and their protest by Hannah and Eilidh were vindicated.”

The latest victory continued a hugely successful two days for Britain’s sailors, with Mills and McIntyre making it three gold medals after success for Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell in the 49er and Giles Scott in the Finn on Tuesday.

It is the country’s second best Olympic tally after Beijing in 2008, when they won six medals, including four golds.

Mills joined forces with 27-year-old McIntyre when Clark retired following the Rio Olympics and the pair marked themselves out as the ones to beat by winning the world championships at Enoshima in 2019.

There was disappointment, though, for 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience and Chris Grube in the men’s 470.

They were sitting second after eight races but dropped to fifth ahead of the medal race and that was where they finished after crossing the line in seventh.

In other Olympic news on Wednesday:

• In boxing, GB boxer Ben Whittaker won silver in the men's light-heavyweight division, while Frazer Clarke took bronze in super-heavyweight.

• Sky Brown was crowned Great Britain’s youngest ever Olympic medallist after taking the bronze medal in the women’s skateboard park event at the Ariake Urban Arena.