Rio 2016 Olympics: Australian sailor Tom Burton risks gold medal by sailing towards family

On Monday, Japanese pole vaulter Hiroki Ogita failed to qualify for the finals because he finished only 21^st after his penis hit and dislodged the bar. On Tuesday, Australian rower Tom Burton almost lost the race because he broke through a line of buoys to sail his laser towards the beach where his family and friends were celebrating his victory.

Fortunately for Tom Burton, a former Sailing Australia (SA) official warned Australian team officials not to let him come to shore or risk being disqualified and losing the gold medal. Daniel Belcher, SA board member, heeded the warning made by Andrew Plympton and signaled to the rower to return to the water. When Plympton made the warning, Beecher could not find any technical staff, so he ran to warn Burton.

The warning was based on experience of SA officials from past Olympics. In London, a Brit sailor who reached the beach to celebrate with supporters before going through a drug test was disciplined, reports Sydney Morning Herald. The Pommy sailor was given a stern warning, although he was not given a penalty.

Michael Blackburn, the coach of Burton, admits he was not that optimistic about winning a gold on the eve of the race because he was aware of the five-boat advantage of the Croatian sailor, reports The Australian. But they used a game plan to have Tonci Stipanovic penalised for a “catch and release,” and their plan worked.

To familiarise himself with the waters, Burton endured 75 days of training over the past three years in the poop-filled Guanabara Bay which reminds the gold medalist of Sydney Harbour. If Burton was too excited to share his victory, it was because he spotted his parents, Peter and Lynee, and girlfriend Emma, whom Burton had not seen since April, in the crowd of cheerers.

VIDEO: Tom Burton sails to Rio de Janeiro