Tokyo Olympics: Defending champion Giles Scott finds form of his life to guarantee Finn medal

Scott and Nacra pair John Gimson and Anna Burnet now certain to reach the podium

Mark Staniforth
Sunday 01 August 2021 15:49 BST
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Great Britain’s sailing team secured another two Olympic medals in Enoshima on Sunday with Finn defending champion Giles Scott and Nacra pair John Gimson and Anna Burnet now guaranteed to reach the podium.

Scott will go into Tuesday’s double-points race in the gold medal position, while Gimson and Burnet look set for silver behind Italian pair Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti.

Emma Wilson won the sailing team’s first medal on Saturday with a bronze in the women’s windsurfing and, with others well-placed in the preliminary standings, there are hopes the team could match or even eclipse the record six medals they claimed at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Scott, who has won six of the 10 preliminary races, said: “I’ve probably sailed the best week of my life and hopefully I can finish it off in a couple of days.

“I had to put in a good showing today. The guys are stacked up behind me and I’m not the only one who has been putting together an amazing series.

Giles Scott believes he is in the best form of his career as he targets another gold (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Giles Scott believes he is in the best form of his career as he targets another gold (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

“Go back four years and there’s probably three people that would have almost won the regatta with a day to spare. To lead those guys out in the medal race you have to put together an amazing week.”

The sailing medal tally could increase even before Scott heads back to the water, with Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell heading into the conclusion of the men’s 49er on Monday in second place behind Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.

Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey stand an outside chance of a medal in the women’s 49er as they head into their double-points race in fifth place.

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