Two gold for NSWIS sailors with a day to spare

Australia’s golden generation of sailing continues to shine, with crews securing two of the three Rio Paralympic gold medals on offer with a day to spare – and a trio of NSWIS athletes are in the thick of the glory.

NSWIS pair Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch are guaranteed the gold medal in the SKUD18 class (2-person kneelboat) with a day to spare after they won race’s nine and ten – bringing their total to eight wins and two seconds from the ten races contested.

The dynamic duo actually wrapped up the gold medal with their race nine win – making it mathematically impossible for them to be beaten but took out race ten for good measure to ensure their place in history as the first team to win back to back Paralympic sailing titles.

With one race left, scheduled to start at 2am Sunday Australian time, the Australian pair is an incredible 21 points ahead of the Canadians, who are fighting it out to hold onto silver, ahead of Great Britain and Poland.

For Tesch, one of Australia’s greatest ever Paralympians, the victory was the icing on the cake for a stunning career that she said would now come to an end.

The Central Coast wonder woman finishes seven Paralympic Games campaigns with two golds in sailing, as well as two silvers and a bronze in wheelchair basketball.

“WINNING back-to-back gold and making Paralympics history is a great way to retire — did I just say that?” News Limited reported.

“We knew this would be the toughest regatta we’ve ever been in,” Tesch said.

“But Dan and I were really focused, unemotional and machine-like determined — that got us over the line.”

It’s a bittersweet result for Tesch in her seventh Paralympic Games — with the decision to retire out of her control as sailing is not a part of the Tokyo Games in 2020.

“I’ll be the fan of the Paralympics in Tokyo,” Tesch said.

“I’ll be sad later; but not sad yet.”

She said she would be friends for life with Fitzgibbon.

“I’m privileged and proud to have sailed with Dan Fitzgibbon for six years — I’ve learned so much,” she said.

Tesch and Fitzgibbon are keen for another win in tomorrow’s final race before a dream final medal ceremony.

“It’s going to be absolutely beautiful,” Tesch said.

Joining Fitzgibbon and Tesch in a gold medal celebration tomorrow will be fellow NSWIS sailor Jonathan Harris who, along with teammates Colin Harrison and Russell Boaden have wrapped up the gold medal with a race still to come in the 3-person kneelboat Sonar class.

The trio finished second in race nine and then won race ten to lock up the top spot on the podium with one round to sail.

An overwhelmed Harris told News Limited the victory was beyond his wildest dreams.

“It’s something I could never have envisaged,” Harris said. 

Pic: Australian Paralympic Committee