SASKIA CLARK and Hannah Mills have already experienced everything that Rio can throw at them from sailing in polluted waters to being robbed at knifepoint.
But after being forced to settle for silver in the 470 class at London 2012 they are determined to go for gold this time around. For Clark, 36, it will also be the chance to bring the curtain down on a career which also saw her finish sixth at Beijing 2008.
Back in December 2014 they were approached by two men armed with knives as they returned to their hotel from training during a two-week warm-up camp in Rio. The men pushed the pair and took everything they had.
Clark admitted: “We made it back to the hotel slightly shaken but OK. Our walk back from the sailing club to the hotel turned fairly nasty when two guys wielding 7-inch knives ran at us, pushed us around and grabbed everything we had.
“Along with the things that were actually worth something, the most annoying thing was the lycra we were sailing in got taken. Unbelievable!”
It is that attitude to life on and off the waters that has made them world-beaters since first forging a partnership back in 2011. Despite only being together for 18 months they clinched Olympic silver on the waters at Weymouth.
Separated by eight years and almost as many inches in height, their decision to team up may well strike gold this time around. Mills, a former junior world champion, and Clark go into Rio with two World Cup victories under their belt this year and much more experience.
Cardiff-born Mills said: “At London I was younger and a lot less experienced. It was my first Olympics and I didn’t have much campaign experience and knowledge and Sask brought that to the team and led on that front.
“Four years on it is a bit more equal and our approach to things has changed a lot. We were thrown together before London and there was time pressure on us meaning we could only address really specific things. Since then we have more time to break down the the difficult things like communication on the water. We understand each other better and it’s just all more professional.
“The whole London 2012 experience was amazing as was a silver medal but at the same time there was a feeling of not quite fulfilling our potential, of unfinished business. We always knew we would carry on to Rio.”
But Rio WILL be the last Olympics for Clark, who grew up on Mersea Island near Colchester.
She said: “I’m retiring after Rio. Physically and mentally it is the right time. This has been my world for 20 years but it is time to move on. But it doesn’t put any more pressure on me to win gold. It was clear from the start of this cycle that this would be my last Games. That was the drive to go on and do a job we would both be proud of.”
Mills said: “Winning Olympic gold has been a goal of ours for so long that I think there would be a big element of relief for me if we achieve it. The satisfaction in what we have done together, all that hard work. But it’s sport and it’s always on a knife-edge. Where it will be won or lost is people’s ability to cope with the conditions.”
Given their ability to cope with conditions in Rio so far they should be favourites for gold.
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