WHEN Hannah Mills was selected to carry the flag for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, it was a huge show of respect for the Dinas Powys sailor.
And she repaid that faith this morning when she became the most successful female Olympic sailor ever when she and her team-mate Eilidh McIntrye clinched the final sailing gold of the Tokyo Games in the women’s 470.
In their 10 races, Mills and McIntyre finished in the top three seven times and started the final race with a 14-point lead over France. They finished fifth in that final race, which extended their lead to a final margin of 16 points.
The Dinas Powys woman’s Olympic sailing career started at London 2012, when she and Saskia Clarke took silver. The pair took gold in Rio in 2016 and then, after Clarke retired from competitive sailing, Mills teamed up with McIntire.
They won the World Cup at their first attempt and have now reached the pinnacle of Olympic sport.
Interviewed shortly after the presentation ceremony, Hannah Mills paid tribute to their “phenomenal” support team.
She said that, although her competitive nature drove her on, she also regarded the high profile of a gold medal as an opportunity to raise awareness of her personal passion for the environment and sustainability.
A tribute to Hannah came from the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, who said: “Hannah was the first female Team GB sailor to carry the Union flag at an opening ceremony, and today, as she clinches gold, becomes the most successful British female sailor in Olympic history. ‘What a way to put Dinas Powys on the map.’
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