Olympic gold for Chichester graduate in Rio

OLYMPIAN and University of Chichester graduate Saskia Clark is celebrating a golden victory at the 2016 Rio Games after winning the 470 women’s sailing event.

The Team GB athlete, who studied Sport and Exercise Sciences, claimed first place with her partner Hannah Mills at the competition in Brazil’s Guanabara Bay.

The champions missed out on gold at London 2012 – instead taking silver – when New Zealand edged them out, however, the pair dominated the Rio event winning three races and finishing in the top eight in all ten sprints.

Ms Clark (below right), speaking to the BBC after the race, said: “The first moment I sailed with Hannah, I knew we could do something special – we have been together through ups and downs and been with each other all the way.”

The duo, who were awarded honorary master of science degrees by Chichester three years ago, began sailing together in 2010 and became Britain’s first world champions in May 2012.

The University’s Institute of Sport has been supporting the British Sailing Team through its innovative research for the last five Olympic Games and in 2012 helped its sailors win more medals than any other country.

Ms Clark and Mills were champions in principle going into the final medal race – having held an unbeatable 20-point lead over their rivals – and only a technical problem or disqualification or would have denied the gold medal.

Although they had to wait until Thursday to claim their award, due to lack of wind across the Guanabara Bay, the pair crossed the finishing line in eighth position to claim the top podium position.

Keep updated with the University of Chichester’s Olympic competitors across its official social media accounts at social.chi.ac.uk.