Jake Saywell admitted he was delighted to have played his part as he helped Europe claim gold in the jumping international team event at the Youth Olympic Games.
After being nominated by his teammates to be flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony, Saywell helped Europe to lead the jumping international team event at Tuesday’s halfway stage, despite eight faults.
And the 17-year-old was back out 24 hours later, this time picking up four faults on the final fence to ensure Europe stayed there, earning himself a gold medal in the process.
“It was a lot better second time around, the horse jumped super actually,” he said. “We were a little bit unlucky at the last fence, he just tired a bit and he is a big horse and it is quite humid.
“Just to be here is a great honour and makes me feel very privileged but to get a medal is fantastic.
“And winning the gold is exceptional and it tees me up well for the individual competition now.”
There was also more medal joy in the gymnastics as Ellie Downie followed Giarnni Regini-Moran’s all-around gold with a bronze of her own.
Downie amassed a score of 54.150 with gold going to Russian Seda Tutkhalyan with 54.900, although she insisted a medal of any colour was beyond her wildest dreams.
“I am really happy with that actually because my expectations for the all-around final wasn’t really a medal,” said Downie, who watched teammate Giarnni Regini-Moran claim men’s all-around gold 24 hours earlier.
“I was hoping for top six or top ten but after I qualified second I really wasn’t expecting that, and then to win bronze is great, I am really pleased with myself.
“But to win bronze is really good because I wasn’t expecting a medal at all. I was just hoping to go out there and do my best and enjoy it so this means everything for me.”
Hanna Brant endured a roller coaster third day at the sailing as she won the first race, finished seventh in the second before being disqualified in the third.
And it was a tough day for Robert MacIntyre in the golf as he shot a three over round to go back to par ahead of the final day.
Amelia Maughan was Team GB’s best performer in the pool on day four as she finished fourth in the women’s 200m freestyle final.
The 18-year-old put in a terrific last 50m to jump up from seventh, touching home in 1:59.41 minutes.
Elsewhere in the pool Miles Munro and Duncan Scott finished sixth and eighth respectively in the men’s 50m freestyle while Charlotte Atkinson was sixth in women’s 50m butterfly.
And Jessica Fullalove is eyeing up a third medal of the Games as she qualified for the women’s 50m backstroke as the fourth fastest.
And over at Xuanwu Lake rower Chris Lawrie just missed out on a medal in the men’s single sculls as he crossed the finish line in fourth place.
Lawrie was leading for the first 500m but his competetors squeezed him out of a podium place in the final half of the race, the 17-year-old finishing with a time of 3:23,89 minutes.
“I am really pleased with that, it is probably one of the best races I have ever done,” said Lawrie, who saw teammate Anna Thornton finished the women’s B final in second.
“I have never raced the single internationally before so to come so close to a medal was great and I am really pleased.”
© Sportsbeat 2014