Australia has won its 14th gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics after sailor Matt Wearn won the Laser class.
The 25-year-old West Australian secured a record-breaking fourth gold medal for Australia on Sunday following two wins in the pool and another in the BMX freestyle.
Wearn’s dominance throughout 10 regular races meant he only needed finish the final race without being disqualified on Sunday to claim gold.
Watching back home in Perth, his family revealed Wearn had missed his sister’s wedding to compete in Tokyo.
It was also revealed Wearn enjoyed a pre-race beer on Saturday night after setting up a 22 point unassailable lead on Friday.
Sailor Matt Wearn celebrates after another gold medal for Australia on Sunday
The minor medals were up for grabs in Sunday’s race, where Croatia’s Tonči Stipanović cliched silver while Norway’s Hermann Tomasgaard claimed bronze.
Wearn cruised to second in Sunday’s final race to increase his lead against the rest of the field and end his Olympic campaign on 53 points.
‘It felt strange to be holding back. Once we got into the race, all I wanted to do was win,’ he told Channel Seven commentators.
‘The natural urges came out then. Great to finish with a second place in the race and seal the deal.
He said the goal was just to go out and have a clean start and be able to race from there.
‘To be able to do that and just enjoy the race was awesome,’ he told reporters.
‘It was a great experience – nice wind, good waves. When the wind’s like this the sport is just amazing and you really start to enjoy it.’
Matt Wearn of Team Australia celebrates winning gold after finishing first in the Men’s Laser class on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Enoshima Yacht Harbour on August 01, 2021 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Watching back home in Perth, his family revealed Wearn had missed his sister’s wedding to compete in Tokyo. Pictured: Matt Wearn of Australia sails his way through a breaking wave at the Tokyo Olympic Games
Wearn said he ‘can’t thank his mother enough’ for her love and support over the years, revealing she used to drive his 900km a week to train at Fremantle Sailing Club.
‘My brother and sister and extended family as well. This is as much their gold medal as it is mine,’ he said.
The dedicated sailor was so focused on victory he missed out on his sister’s Perth wedding.
His mother, who watched on with family back in WA, said she was ecstatic to see him cross the line.
‘I do feel really relieved now. He’s done it,’ she said.
‘Just always happy to see him cross that line. Always happy to see that little bit of paper go up in the clubhouse window showing he is on the top.’
Matt Wearn sails toward a group of spectators cheering him on after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games
Wearn cruised to second in Sunday’s final race to increase his lead against the rest of the field and end his Olympic campaign on 53 points
It is Australia’s third consecutive Olympic sailing gold medal in the one-man class, with the 25-year-old following in the footsteps of Tom Burton (Rio 2016) and Tom Slingsby (London 2012).
‘I’ve always had in my mind that if I was going to win a gold this is the way I wanted to do it – I didn’t want to leave it to chance in the medal race because anything can happen,’ Wearn said earlier.
Wearn’s fiancee and partner of seven years, Belgian Emma Plasschaert was the 2018 world Laser radial champion and will later compete on Sunday.
She’s currently in fifth place.
‘We haven’t been able to see each other much over the past six months, or even whilst we’ve been here with the COVID measures,’ Wearn said.
‘But knowing that she’s been here for the whole time has been really special.’
Australia’s Matt Wearn trims his sail in the men’s laser medal race at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Fujisawa, Japan
Earlier on Sunday, Emma McKeon became Australia’s most successful Olympian with two gold medals within 45 minutes by winning the 50 metre freestyle before teaming up with Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges and Cate Campbell in the 4x 100m women’s medley relay.
Queenslander Logan Martin then made history by winning the first Olympic Old medal in
Australia has overtaken Russia on the overall medal tally with 14 gold, three silver and 14 bronze.