Tokyo Olympics 2021: Sailor Matt Wearn in pole position for Laser gold

Matt Wearn, a sailor virtually unknown outside his sport until last week, can now officially boast he is an Olympic champion two days after actually clinching the title.

Matt Wearn of Team Australia competes in the Men's Laser class on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Picture: Getty Images

It has taken a sailor virtually unknown outside his sport and inspired by two women as a kid, to join an elite club in Tokyo as only the third Australian man to win an individual gold at the 2020 Games.

Wearn joined breaststroker Issac Stubblety-Cook and BMX freestyler Logan Martin in flying the flag for the men of the Australian team who have been overshadowed by powerhouse individual performances from swimmer Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Emma McKeon along with paddler Jessica Fox.

Wearn only needed to do a victory lap to secure his gold in Enoshima on Sunday but raced it to finish second and officially secure his new mantle as Olympic champion.

But his gold earned him an extra special place in Olympic history ensuring that Australia won its fourth gold medal in a single day, the first time it has ever been achieved.

The others were won by Logan Martin in the BMX Freestyle, Emma McKeon in the 50m freestyle and the women’s 4 x 100m female medley.

Sailor Matt Wearn after discovering on Friday he could not be beaten for the gold medal.

Wearn realised what he wanted to become when Beijing Olympic champions Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson went to his local sailing club in Perth to show young sailors the gold medal they had just won in the 470 class.

He said he immediately wanted to be what he could see.

Now 14 years later he is – after staging a fighting comeback from a disastrous start to his first Games and overcoming serious self doubt to become Australia’s third successive Olympic Laser gold medallist.

“My first real sailing memory is seeing Elise in Beijing and winning gold. It was a turning point and it became a goal,’’ said Wearn, who is coached by Sydney 2000 Laser bronze medallist Michael Blackburn.

On Sunday the kid who grew up dreaming of being an AFL star instead became Australian sailing’s 12th gold medallist with Rechichi praising him for his extraordinary fightback and remembering “the cute little kid’’ he was” when she first saw him as an eight or nine-year old Optimist sailor.

Elise Rechichi, left, and Tess Parkinson, after winning their gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

“He was so tiny but clever. He had such grit and gumption,” she said.

“I remember thinking he had something special even then.”

That something special saw Wearn pull off a major reversal of fortune on the Pacific Ocean where the Olympic sailing competition is being conducted until Wednesday afternoon.

Last Sunday he finished a shock 17th in his first race with things going from bad to worse the next day when he came home in 28th.

To many his campaign appeared over.

Matt Wearn showed nerves of steel to come back from a terrible start to the regatta.

“There was a little bit of doubt,’’ he admitted. “After race two on day two I put myself in a pretty big deficit.

“These guys out there are amazing sailors and they are not going to relinquish a lead if they’ve got it.

“I knew I had to fight and that’s what I did and I have come out on top.’’

It was a fightback being talked about in sailing as the most miraculous in recent memory.

Wearn, who was selected over reigning Olympic champion Tom Burton to race in Tokyo, has already committed to a defence of his crown in Paris.

No Australian skipper has ever defended a gold meal in Olympic history.

“Why not,’ said the laconic sailor. “It’s only three years away and this is pretty good fun.’’

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics 2021: Sailor Matt Wearn in pole position for Laser gold