Santiago Lange is the oldest medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. At 54, he won a gold medal for Argentina and he can't stop counting the number of times he's cried after receiving the yellow medal. The venue of the feat was Guanabara Bay, where one of the more remarkable stories of the Rio Olympics played out.
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"It was many," said Lange, on the number of occasions he broke down.
Lange, a cancer survivor and six-time Olympian, and crewmember Cecilia Carranza Saroli won the first Olympic gold medal in the Nacra 17 mixed catamaran class on Tuesday at the sailing regatta. It was an emotional moment at Flamengo Beach were there were unending rounds of group hugs, handshakes and backslaps.
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"These whole games have been incredible for me," said Lange, who marched alongside sons Yago and Klaus during the opening ceremony. "They've been a very emotional games. Watching the racing of my sons, and my sons watching my racing, and today celebrating with them. It's just been too much for me."
After receiving his gold medal, Lange hopped off the podium and ran over to hug his sons. Lange had to beat lung cancer before he had a chance to beat the fleet.
He was diagnosed last year and had his left lung removed. "I was very lucky to find it," Lange said. "Probably if I wasn't travelling so much and wasn't so tired it wouldn't have been found. I see myself as very lucky."
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Already a two-time bronze medalist in the discontinued Tornado catamaran class, Santiago was the most popular guy in the boat basin. As he and Saroli came to shore, his sons, who sail in the 49er class, jumped into the water to greet them.
"My children swam to the ship," Lange said. "They had a regatta yesterday and were disqualified unjustly. If not they'd be fighting for a medal. So, what more can you ask from life?"
The shore-side celebration lasted for several minutes, with several people waving Argentinian flags. They'd probably still be standing in the surf if it weren't for media obligations and the medal ceremony.
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Lange and Saroli won the gold after finishing sixth in the medal race, rallying from last after being penalized at the start. They took the gold by just one point over Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin of Australia. Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank of Austria won the bronze.
Zajac said other sailors sometimes joke about Lange being "the old man. But he's shown everyone. He's here."
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On the busiest day of the regatta, Caleb Paine of San Diego won the Finn class medal race and took the bronze, the first sailing medal for the United States at the Rio Games. Britain's Giles Scott had clinched the gold two days earlier. Silver went to Vasilij Zbogar of Slovenia.
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The Americans lead the all-time Olympic sailing medals table with 60. They were whitewashed at the London Games, failing to win an Olympic sailing medal for the first time since 1936.