DORSET windsurfer Emma Wilson is guaranteed an Olympic medal after finishing in second overall – with just the medal race remaining.
Olympic debutant Wilson, 22, went into the final day of fleet racing in the lead but ended the day second, four points worse off than China's Lu Yunxiu.
With double points awarded in Saturday morning's medal race, it means Wilson must finish at least two places above her rival to claim gold.
Wilson is 24 points better off than fourth-placed Italian, Marta Maggetti, with a maximum of 20 given to the 10th and last-placed finisher in the medal race.
Wilson's medal race is scheduled for 6.33am UK time.
Elsewhere, fellow windsurfer Tom Squires, who trains at Portland, has an outside shot at a medal from sixth overall.
He bids for a podium spot at 7.33am on Saturday, knowing he must close a 14-point gap on Italy's Mattia Camboni and hope other results go his way.
READ MORE: Wilson leads Dorset charge on Tokyo 2020 day four
Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell took third place in their second 49er race, coming back from a struggling 14th in the first, and remain top.
Poole's Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre finished the day with a race win to move them up to second in the women’s 470.
Ali Young maintained her top-10 position in the Laser Radial with two top-10 finishes, while Elliot Hanson is 12th in the Laser going into the final day of racing.
Wilson, from Christchurch, said: “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. My coach told me on the rib and it’s an amazing feeling.
"I’ve watched the Olympics since I was a little kid and it’s always been a dream. And finally I haven’t come fourth as well which is so good because I’m sick of it.
“I’m super happy. One more race I can just give everything for and see what can happen.
“I had really good speed the last few days and that was really good. I have to say thank you to the lads in Weymouth who've trained with me. They all helped me so much. It’s an amazing feeling.
“I want to ring my brother as well because he has been pushing me since I was a little kid as well. That’s gonna be cool.
“I kept my cool when it was tight. Obviously today was harder than any other day because I had to think more about the other people but I think I’m really proud of how I’ve approached the whole event.”
Squires, 27, said: “The launch race had a lot riding on it, and I had a bit of an average one, so we’ll see how points are when we’re going into the medal race.
“I’ve put up a fight this week it’s been good racing and we’ve had a good wind, and I’ve really loved the racing.
“I had two good races and then the wind just started to drop on the last one and I had a really rubbish start and then I had to find bad lanes out as I was already at the back at that point, so I think I was just trying to take as many places as I could.
“It’s not the end yet and I’m looking forward to having a good medal race hopefully.”
Fletcher, 33, said: “We expected a bit more breeze but ultimately it was a lighter forecast and we found it quite tricky with an up and down breeze and having a target on our backs when we were leading with a lot of boats tacking on us.
"We weren't really as prepared for that as we should have been but we battled through at the end of the day.
“We were surprised in the first race when the Spanish pairing, Diego and Iago, were tacking on us up the first beat, just thought ‘wow, we have got a lot of racing left’.
"If they are thinking about tacking on us rather than getting their points you know. But we just need to focus on our racing and thankfully pulled it back in the last race.
“We had a tricky start in the second race, again got tacked on a few times, then there was quite a split in the breeze which is quite unusual.
"Really, from the start we kept making some good decisions and over taking. You know, it’s just about holding your nerve when you are that deep and had a bad first race.
“Halfway stage of the regatta, and as Stu said the other day, there’s no place you would rather be than leading at this point.
"There’s a long way to go with different conditions and that’s what we like, mixing it up you know.”
His partner Bithell said: “I had a little chuckle to myself when I saw Pete (Burling) jumping out of the boat again, but to be honest with us in the depths of racing ourselves and at the back a little bit it didn’t last long.
"But it’s always good to see the kings drop the guard.
“It’s halfway, it’s good to be out in front but there’s no denying there’s still plenty of hard work to do.”
Young, 34, said: “It’s been a pretty breezy day with some waves, pretty physical sailing. Generally got myself around 10th in both races. I'm feeling pretty tired and I hiked pretty hard.
"My starts were decent today so just focussing on executing the key bits well and trying to build some races from there.”
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