Tokyo Olympics 2021: Mat Belcher and Will Ryan win last ever men’s 470 gold medal
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan will go down as the last men’s 470 team to win an Olympic gold medal. Here’s why.
A father-of-three and a sailor about to start job hunting cemented a spot in Australian sporting history with a spectacular gold medal in the men’s 470 sailing class in the waters off Enoshima Harbour, southwest of Tokyo, on Wednesday.
Fuelled by special cups of coffee made with gold capsules to bring them luck, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan only needed their skills and clever tactics — and to avoid any trouble — to claim sailing’s second gold medal of the Games. But they ended up winning the final race for good measure.
It was an emotional moment for the Belcher and Ryan and coaching great Victor Kovalenko. The pair were sailing together for the final time now their 470 class has been dropped from the Paris 2024 sailing program in Marseilles.
“We are really, really happy. We have been going out there having a good time all week,” said Belcher, who only needed to start and not be disqualified to put the gold round his neck after notching an unassailable lead on Tuesday.
“We had a good time, sailed well and had a few laughs.”
Belcher had a message written on his hand for son Anton who found his long absences hard.
“He’s a little bit older and its been tough for him so I wanted to give him a little shoutout, a special shoutout. It said ‘I miss you Anton’.’’
The pair and their boat were chaired up the boat ramp and into the boat park, where they were doused in champagne and greeted by teammates.
Belcher said being the first skipper to win two gold medals — 10 years apart — and the first to win three medals after his silver in Rio, was special.
“It’s right up there for me. It’s a great honour,’’ said the 38-year-old from the Gold Coast.
Ryan, who has been dieting for years to stay light for the 470, planned to celebrate his Olympic medal by treating himself to his favourite dessert, a Tirimasu.
The sailor from Coal Point on Lake Macquarie now heads to Europe looking for opportunities as a professional sailor, with his Olympic career likely over unless he opts to campaign in a mixed boat for Paris.
Belcher’s celebrations included sharing the moment over the phone with his wife and three children, who he has sacrificed time with to become an Australian legend.
Whenever the going got tough, Belcher thought of his wife Rikki, conversations and special moments with Anton, 7, cuddles with two-year-old Zoe and the determination of his five-year-old daughter Amelie.
Belcher said his oldest daughter is a constant inspiration, teaching him to savour the little moments, showing him how hard work pays off and the benefit of smiling when things aren’t going so well.
“Amelie has changed so much,’’ he said of his daughter, who has Down syndrome.
“To see her going through her struggles, the complexities of what she goes through, it is so rewarding.
“We are so proud. She is the glue in our family.’’
Belcher said he will take a much-needed break from the boat, but has not entirely ruled out returning for a fourth assault in Paris in the mixed 470 class.
But his next sailing foray will be vastly different from an Olympic campaign with Belcher to tests himself in the toughest ocean race in the world: the Sydney to Hobart.
Fittingly, Belcher will do his first Hobart race on skipper Matt Allen’s overall winner Ichi Ban, which means No. 1 in Japanese.
Aussies ‘do a Wearny’ to win gold
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have “done a Wearny’’ – finding themselves in the same strange situation as their gold medal winning teammate Matt Wearn in only having to start the final race of the 470 regatta and avoid any trouble on the racecourse Wednesday to nab a historic gold.
Only an unlikely disqualification in the final race can spoil the party for the Australians.
The pair must race the medal race without drama involving rules or behaviour that could lead to a disqualification to have the gold medal handed to them on a plate on Wednesday afternoon.
But the pair have refused to contemplate any celebration until they have the medal round their neck.
“We are too superstitious to do anything until we have won officially,” Belcher said.
“But it’s a nice position to be in going into the final race.’’
While Ryan, from Newcastle, joins a special club as a two-time medal winner after his silver in Rio, Gold Coast sailor Belcher is now in a league of his own as the first ever skipper to win two gold medals for Australian sailing.
Belcher also won gold with his old crewmate Mal Page in 2012 before snaring silver with Ryan.
Wednesday’s race will be the last time the pair sail together in a 470 in the Olympic arena with the men’s class dropped to make way for a mixed boat in Paris in 2024.
Lucky charm behind sailing duo’s quest for gold
It’s plastic, come out of chocolate egg and could play a part in Australia winning another sailing gold in Tokyo.
This tiny little taxi car, that lives in Mat Belcher and Will Ryan’s spinnaker bag on their 470 boat, has been skipper Belcher’s lucky charm for almost two decades.
And in the superstitious world of sailing, luck is a highly prized commodity.
“I’ve had it since 2003 and I do think it brings me a bit of luck,’’ Belcher said. “I got it when Rikki (his now wife) and I were sailing together at a junior Europeans together.
“I wouldn’t want to loose it.
“It just came out of one of those Kinder eggs and I liked it and kept it. It’s done a few miles and it’s a good-luck charm.’’
But luck isn’t something Belcher and Ryan need too much of right now with the pair in pole position to clinch their first gold together on Wednesday.
Gold would see Belcher become the first Australian skipper to be crowned Olympic champion twice after his win with Mal Page in London in 2012 and the first to win three medals after his silver with Ryan in Rio.
The pair will head out on the racecourse off Enoshima on Tuesday to complete their last two races after light winds saw all racing called off on Monday.
“We love to race so we are just happy to be going out there,’’ Ryan said.
There is potential for the pair to take an unassailable lead in the 470 class by the time they return to shore on Tuesday.
“To do that would be pretty special. It doesn't’ happen that often,’’ Belcher said of just needing to participate in the medal race to officially secure their gold as teammate Matt Wearn did in the Laser class.
“But anything can happen out here. We are just enjoying racing.’’
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