WEYMOUTH'S Nick Dempsey has won Britain’s first sailing medal of Rio 2016 in the Men’s RS:X class today.

Dempsey went into today’s double points Medal Race knowing that, providing he successfully competed in today’s race, he could not be knocked off the second podium post, but was unable to overtake Dorian van Rijsselberghe (NED) in gold medal position.

And a fourth in the race, which was won by van Rijsselberghe, confirmed Dempsey’s silver medal and status as the most decorated Olympic male windsurfer ever.

The medal is five-time Olympian Dempsey’s second consecutive Olympic silver and his third Games medal in total having first been on the podium at Athens 2004. He was also second to van Rijsselberghe at London 2012. Dempsey made his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000.

Speaking immediately after today’s race Dempsey’s coach Dom Tidey said: “What a way to go out. There was no stress and he could soak it all up. Hopefully it’s not his last race at an Olympics, I’m going to try to convince him to do another!

“He’s really, really happy, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. We came here for gold but Dorian was the better guy and we’ll take second best.”

Van Rijsselberghe also locked down his second successive Olympic gold during racing on Friday, while a seventh in today’s Medal Race handed Pierre Le Coq (FRA) bronze.