OLYMPIC gold medals are incredibly difficult to come by - and West Mersea’s Saskia Clark can attest to that.

Having missed out on top spot in the 2012 London Games, when she and team mate Hannah Mills were beaten by their Kiwi rivals, she decided to put her body through it all again.

Four years of intense training and preparation later, not to mention a hernia operation and regular injections to numb the pain in her knees, and she was celebrating winning gold in the women’s 470 class on a Guanabara Bay beach.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

Now she’s decided to call it a day. And it was an easy decision.

Saskia, 37, said: “Physically and mentally, retirement is a no brainer.

“My knees have given me a lot of trouble and at times I’ve needed injections just maintain my performance.

“I have definitely struggled over the last four years and I have just got through it - not just with my knees but I’ve had a hernia operation and each time you have an operation you worry you’re not going to get back to the level you want to be at.

“There are younger girls chasing us for selection. I’m the oldest by about four years and I can’t think of a better time to do it.

“I have reached my goal and right now I feel complete.”

The helm, who learnt the ropes at Dabchicks Sailing Club, was back home last week and took part in the annual Mersea Week event, something she always aims to attend.

The former Colchester County High School for Girls pupil said: “Coming back is surreal.

“I’m not sure it has actually sunk in yet. Everything goes so quickly.

Gazette:

“We knew we were in a really good place. We were sailing well and our main rival was having a bit of a nightmare.

“We had a lot more of a windy Olympics than we were expecting.

“We had one really big day when there was a four-metre swell.”

The pair took an almost unassailable 20-point lead into the final race, which meant they only had to finish to take gold.

The only thing that would stand in their way would have been a broken mast.

Saskia said: “We knew where we were and what we needed so we actually had extra rope with us so we could fix stuff if the worst happened.

“We just needed to finish the race and we figured if we have enough rope, we can fix the absolute worst thing that could happen.”

This will be the West Mersea Yacht Club member’s second attempt at retirement.

After the 2008 Beijing Games, her former sailing partner, double Olympic champion Sarah Ayton, left the sport to start a family, leaving Saskia without a partner.

She added: “I was happy for her but I was kind of like: ‘Right, what do I do now?’

“She had won two gold medals and she knew what it would take and that would have been difficult.

“I knew Hannah, she was known as the up and coming girl, and she had had a tough few years and we just started concocting.

“From then there was never any doubt about her.

"The only question is could we put it together in time for the trials to be selected.”

The pair first sailed together three months before the London Olympics trials.

Saskia said: “That timeframe gave us the platform to be really honest and it really helped having another team right up against us for selection.”

Had the pair won gold in London, Sakia may well have retired, but the pain of missing out was too much not to give it another go.

Despite the sacrifices, it was all worth it.

Saskia said: “That five minutes before the medal ceremony and the time on top of the podium with one of my best friends was just amazing.

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“I feel really happy, proud we won and nobody can take that away from us.”

Her plans are already in place or her sailing retirement.

At the moment, she is an am - bassador for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, set up in the sailor’s memory after he died in an accident on a yacht in San Francisco Bay in 2013.

The foundation, set up a year later, aims to bring sailing to children who would not ordinarily get the opportunity to sail.

From the autumn, she hopes to take up a PR and communications position with the foundation.

She said: “Andrew was a dear friend and I feel they are trying to achieve a great thing with sailing.

“They believe, and I believe, that sailing gives amazing life skills to kids.”

At the moment, the foundation is funding sailing for five year groups in a school in Portland, near to Saskia’s base in Weymouth, Dorset.

She said: “In honesty, sailing is not a very popular sport, so getting participation is up in a big aim.”

The sailor does, though, admit she will miss the intense competition which comes with being a high-level athlete.

She said: “I will miss the total trust you need to have in people in sport.

“Winning is addictive and improving is really addictive - that drive to get better.

“After London, we broke everything down and almost started again. That is how much you value getting better.”

She also admits the pride shown in her by islanders has taken her by surprise.

There are a number of congratulatory signs which greet her as she travels across The Strood and it is hard to miss the homes decked in red, white and blue - and gold - bunting.

Saskia added: “I’ll be honest, it was a bit scary really. But then it just feels absolutely amazing.

“Mersea is a huge part of where I am.

"The whole community, especially around the waterfront, is so close and so supportive and I will always be thankful.”