Aussies celebrate double swag of gold

Australia celebrated a double swag of Olympic gold at the yachting regatta Monday, finding success in the men's and women's 470 classes as they prepared to party the night away.

Relaxed triple world champions Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page won by simply starting the final race. They were so far ahead -- 22 points -- of their nearest rivals that they only needed to turn up to win.

The silver went to Britain's Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield and the bronze to Nicolas Charbonnier and Olivier Bausset of France.

Double-handed dinghy pair Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson -- dubbed 'Perth's pocket rockets' -- then made it a day to remember by claiming the women's 470 class gold.

Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout of the Netherlands took silver and Fernanda Oliveira and Isabel Swan of Brazil grabbed the bronze.

Wilmot said they were enjoying themselves out on the water.

"We were pretty relaxed and we were joking around. we sailed stable and conservatively throughout the regatta and we tried to stay in single digit numbers," he said.

"At the end we did better than we hoped."

Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson crossed the finish line of their medal race in ninth place, but it was enough to secure gold after their nearest rivals, the Netherlands, failed to make up enough ground to trouble them.

Rechichi said they planned to hook up with Wilmot and Page and party.

"When we crossed the finish line we were screaming and crying and shouting. We're so stunned we cannot stop laughing," she said.

"We're very excited. we're going to the find the boys [Wilmot and Page] and our families and we'll go party."

 

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