DORSET'S Hannah Mills admitted her status as the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history is "absolutely mad".
Mills, 33, won gold alongside crew Eilidh McIntyre to add to her gold in Rio 2016 with Saskia Clark, plus a silver medal at London 2012.
The duo carried a 14-point lead into today's medal race and claimed fifth place ahead of French challengers Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz, who later saw a protest thrown out.
Poland's Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Olga finished fourth to sneak above the French boat into silver.
Poole-based Mills said: "It’s been massive. I mean it's been one of the hardest weeks of my life and I'm sure for Eilidh as well. Just every day, feeling sick, not being able to eat, just nerves building up and yeah, the emotion.
"But we've done it, we’ve done what we came here to do and it’s amazing.”
READ MORE: How Hannah Mills re-wrote the history books
Commenting on becoming the most decorated and most successful Olympic female sailor, Hannah said: “Yeah it's mad, it’s absolutely mad.
"Growing up you obviously, like a lot of Olympians, dream of being here one day and standing on top of a podium.
"To do it twice, with Saskia before and Eilidh this time, I’ve had two incredible crews to sail with and I just feel really lucky. We’ve got a great team around us and the support has been phenomenal.
“Big shout out to the National Lottery, and everyone who plays the lottery, because without you guys we wouldn't be here either. And the support back home has been unreal, so thank you everyone.”
McIntyre, 27, added: "Fortunately nothing else (but gold) would have done for me either and I think we've been so aligned on that during our entire campaign.
"That's all we were going for, anything else was a disappointment and I think knowing that this whole campaign has prepared me.
“To be honest, I can't believe this has happened. To think that I've dreamt of this through my entire life. With my Dad (Mike McIntyre, 1988 Olympic champion), it’s an amazing feeling and I just can't wait to have the gold around my neck.
“I’d like to thank my Dad for everything, for being my inspiration and for being at the end of the phone whenever I’ve wanted to talk.
"But it’s really hit my whole family, my poor Mum who’s had to live through the stress of this twice now, and my sister and brother have been my total rocks.
"But thank you everyone – my fiancé John and that whole group of them – have been there so much and supported me. It's always been that nothing is good enough, but gold is enough and they’ve all been on this journey.”
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