Eilidh McIntyre’s gold medal for sailing was greeted with a roar of excitement by her family as she added another trophy to the McIntyre name.
Her victory in the 470 class sailing event in the waters off Enoshima alongside Hannah Mills yesterday marked the first time a British daughter and her father have both won gold. Mike McIntyre, 65, took gold in the star class at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
He said that his medal had helped to motivate his daughter, whom he first took sailing on a catamaran when she was eight months old. “It sits in a little golden cabinet outside her bedroom so, as she was growing up, every time she went out she would go past it,” he said. “She always said it gave her motivation; also, the fact it was in the family made it seem normal and achievable.”
His daughter, 27, who is based in Portsmouth, said that winning made her even prouder of her father’s achievement. “From a very young age I understood how hard a journey this was going to be and how hard he fought for his medal,” she said. “I certainly think that that has been one of the strong points of my career.”
The family gathered with more than 100 friends and fellow sailors at Hayling Island Sailing Club to watch the race, which she completed in fifth place — a finish good enough to secure gold after success in earlier rounds.
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Jubilation was suspended while stewards investigated a protest by the French team, but this was dismissed.
Caroline McIntyre, Eilidh’s mother, said: “It means everything to her. It has been her life and her world since she was 11. You could see it in her reaction when she found out about the protest — she was distraught beyond words.”
She said she could not wait to welcome her daughter back home. “I shall probably be in the queue for a massive hug and to say how proud I am of her, super-proud of her, for both of the girls, it’s an amazing achievement.”
While there have been double gold medals for brothers and sisters and married couples competing for Britain, the previous most successful father and daughter contenders were the royal dynasty of Mark Phillips and Zara Tindall. Mark won gold in the team three-day event at the Munich Games in 1972, a year before he married Princess Anne. Zara won silver in team eventing at London 2012.
McIntyre teamed up with Mills, 33, after the Rio Games in which Mills had won gold alongside Saskia Clark. Mills’s victory yesterday makes her the most successful female Olympic sailor.
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Her mother, Fiona Mills, said that she was elated by the victory. “I’m not quite sure how she can be related to us but she is obviously and, my word, she’s just worked so hard, as both girls have.”
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s newly crowned Olympic showjumping champion, Ben Maher, is planning to welcome two special guests to his wedding this month: a gold medal and his wonder-horse, Explosion W.
Maher will marry his American fiancée, Sophie, at home in Hertfordshire, with a gold medal now part of the family furniture and Explosion W stabled just 50m away.
Maher, 38, produced a dazzling display at the Tokyo equestrian park to give Team GB its second successive Olympic individual showjumping champion after Nick Skelton’s success with Big Star in Rio five years ago.
Thirty riders contested the final, with six going through to a jump-off. Maher triumphed over the silver medallist, Peder Fredricson of Sweden; the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten took bronze. Maher’s victory gave the GB equestrian team a fifth Olympic medal, equalling its record 2012 haul.
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“I don’t know what was more pressure — this, or getting married in a fortnight,” said Maher.
In the blood
Cyril and Dorothy Wright, a married couple, secured double gold as part of a sailing team at the Antwerp Games in 1920.
John and Michael Whitaker, who were brothers, won silver in the equestrian jumping event at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Jonny and Greg Searle, also brothers, rowed to gold in the coxed pairs in Barcelona in 1992.
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Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, brothers, gained medals in the triathlon at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh married in 2013, having won hockey bronze in 2012 they went on to win gold in 2016.
