DINAS POWYS sailing legend Hannah Mills played an unexpected cameo role in the Olympic opening ceremony when she came to the rescue of a senior dignitary by sheltering him with an umbrella during his speech.
Hannah, 36, is the most decorated woman in Olympic sailing history. At the London 2012 games, she won a silver medal in the Women’s 470 alongside Saskia Howard, and four years later in Rio de Janeiro the duo went one better by clinching gold.
At the Tokyo Olympics of 2020, delayed until 2021 because of the pandemic, she again won gold in the Women’s 470, this time partnered by Eilidh McIntyre.
Hannah’s achievements were recognised when she was appointed an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours, and five years later it was upgraded to an OBE.
Next month, Hannah will helm the Pathway team at the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona, and she has also assembled the British Youth Team who will be aiming to retain the Youth America’s Cup.
Hannah is not participating in the ongoing Olympics, but she was present at the opening ceremony in an ambassadorial role.
Towards the end of the four-hour ceremony, Tony Estanguet, three-time slalom canoe Olympic champion and now president of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee took to the stage to deliver a welcome speech to the competitors, and he was soon joined on the platform by Hannah, who provided an umbrella to shield him from a particularly heavy deluge of rain.
While Mr Estanguet was sufficiently protected from the elements, the umbrella was not large enough to cover Hannah at the same time, and she left the stage drenched following his speech.
- Pencoed tangled up by ‘Seaweeds’
- Primary school’s former deputy head is banned from teaching
- I make no apologies for calling Plaid Cymru ‘separatists’
⭐ All of our social media in one handy place – here
Pencoed tangled up by ‘Seaweeds’
Primary school’s former deputy head is banned from teaching
I make no apologies for calling Plaid Cymru ‘separatists’
‘The importance of participation and continued learning’
Opposition leaders clash with First Minister over independence rally
How Kevin saved a stranger’s life
