Super sailor Matt Wearn is planning a special homecoming after clinching a history-making second Olympic gold medal in a dramatic men’s dinghy final.
The 28-year-old West Australian became the first ever back-to-back Olympic champion in the event and extended Australia’s golden run in the class.
Australia has claimed four consecutive titles, with Wearn’s two medals following Tom Burton in Rio 2016 and Tom Slingsby’s triumph at London 2012.
“It’s just pure excitement; it’s something no one’s done before, going back to back in the ILCA (dinghy), or the laser as it was before,” Wearn said.
“That was a massive goal and I’ve made it happen so it’s pretty special.”
He said he had doubts he could again reach the top after battling long COVID in 2022.
“That was tough,” Wearn said.
“There was obviously that moment there where I thought that I wouldn’t be competing again and that I certainly wouldn’t be as strong as I am now.”
He had to work for his triumph, with shifting winds in Marseille on Wednesday doing him no favours.
Wearn was forced to race the ILCA 7 medal decider twice after it was initially abandoned close to the finish.
Already delayed by a day, Wearn was minutes from collecting gold when the first race was called off due to failing wind, with just one leg left to complete.
Heading into the double-point medal decider, Wearn’s 14 -point lead meant had already locked up a silver medal and could only be overtaken by Pavlos Kontides, of Cyprus.
Wearn made no mistake when the race was re-run about 30 minutes later, crossing the finish line in first place.
Kontides was second in the ILCA 7 medal race, confirming his silver, while Peruvian Stefano Peschiera was third overall.
“When they abandoned it, that was pretty tough, especially because we were so far round the track,” Wearn said.
“You just know that Pavlos (Kontides) is a competitor and if you give him another opportunity he might have a go at it.
“It was pretty stressful but Rafa (Trujillo), my coach, did a fantastic job just to settle me down, get me ready to go for another one.
“We just had to keep executing our plan and that’s what we did.”
Greeted by a large contingent of Australian fans on the breakwater, Wearn said he would save the biggest celebrations for when he arrived home.
“Probably a little quiet beer somewhere will be the first thing,” he said.
“Then there’ll be a pretty big party when we get back to Australia, I think.”
In the women’s dinghy, Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands won gold, marking the fourth straight Games she has reached the podium.
