Joy for Rochdale’s Olympic sailing golden boy

Family and friends watched Stuart Bithell take gold in Tokyo at the sailing club where it all began near Rochdale
Leslie and Vivian Bithell celebrate after their son Stuart Bithell and his helm Dylan Fletcher won a gold medal in the 49er medal race during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at Bithell’s home club, Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club, near Rochdale. Picture date: Tuesday August 3, 2021.
PA Wire
Pat Hurst3 August 2021

Family and friends of Team GB’s sailing golden boy Stuart Bithell gathered in his home town to watch his heart-stopping, finishing-line first place win.

Bithell, 34, from Rochdale and his helm Dylan Fletcher, 33, from Market Harborough, went into the 49er medal race in second place but finished in first, just ahead of their German rivals, with the lead changing hands throughout the race.

The tense finish saw Bithell’s mother, Viv, waving a Union flag, and his father, Les joyfully hugging each other as friends watched the race at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club near Rochdale, where it all began for the Olympic champion.

After anxious minutes willing the Team GB pair on with shouts of: “Come on Stuart!” cheers and clapping erupted when they finally took gold in Tokyo.

Mrs Bithell, 68, told the PA news agency: “It’s been really exciting and we are absolutely delighted with what’s happened.

Vivian Bithell watches her son win an Olympic gold medal (Peter Byrne/PA)
PA Wire

“I was convinced they had got it, but it was a bit hairy with the Germans at the end.

“We’ve spoken to him on Facetime and he’s absolutely beaming and can’t believe it, he said himself it’s not sunk in yet, so there’s going to be some celebrations going in in the next week or so.”

Mr Bithell, 67, said he did not push his son into the sport, but Stuart’s own enthusiasm shone through as he grew up, with the youngster always asking his parents to take him to the sailing club at Hollingworth, which gave him a solid grounding.

Great Britain’s Stuart Bithell during the Team GB Tokyo 2020 Sailing team announcement at Haven Rockley Park Holiday Park, Poole (Andrew Matthews/PA Images)
PA Archive

From the age of 16 he became focused to win, the family travelling across the UK and abroad as he competed in regatta competitions, before he took silver in the 470 class alongside Luke Patience at London 2012.

The pandemic meant the proud parents were unable to see their son win gold in person Mrs Bithell said: “We we’re all booked up to go, twice, we were really looking forward to going and obviously it’s not happened, but we’ve been able to watch the sailing very intently and today has been really nice actually, at the sailing club, where it all started with all his friends.”

And his parents hope their son’s achievement will inspire the next generation of young sailors at Hollingworth.

Celebrations erupt at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club, near Rochdale (Peter Byrne/PA)
PA Wire

Mrs Bithell said: “They’ve been so supportive and you ask them what he’s been doing throughout the year and they all know what he’s up to, they are watching him on Facebook and Instagram, they are so interested.

“They are all on the front line today watching the racing, it’s been fabulous.”

Bithell’s partner cracked open the champagne to celebrate as she watched the final in Poole Dorset.

Katherine Kimber told Good Morning Britain: “We are at Parkstone Yacht Club and they had a few bottles in the fridge so, yeah, we’ve cracked that open.

“It was just so tense right into the last second, it was just amazing to watch.”

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