While Australia's Olympic sailors may need to swim the upwind leg of their race to attract the host broadcaster's attention, the feats of Laser sailor Matt Wearn shouldn't go unheralded.
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The 25-year-old West Australian absolutely blitzed a one-design class in which the equipment is absolutely identical, and hence the skill of the sailor is paramount.
Indeed, where some gold medals are won by fractions of a second, centimetre or points, his 29-point triumph was a shellacking. Daylight took silver, while country mile claimed the bronze.
Wearn started slowly but clicked into gear from race 3 onwards. Even light and fluky winds couldn't halt his march, with gold secured for Australia before Sunday's final Medal Race.
The latter was a formality, provided Wearn kept his nose clean. His start was conservative, and he kept clear of the pack.
Yet there was no stopping the lanky champion, who clawed his way to second, seemingly without trying, his poise, purpose and power simply unmatched across a strong field.
Bruce Kirby, designer of the Laser and himself a three-time Olympian, passed away just a few days prior at the age of 92. He would've been watching down in awe.
Wearn's victory makes it three golds in a row for Australia in the Laser, following on from Tom Slingsby at London 2012 and Tom Burton's nail-biter at Rio 2016. If expectation was weighing Wearn down, he certainly didn't show it.
"It's a special thing to be able to continue that Australian legacy in the Laser," said Wearn. "After my first day when things hadn't gone so well, I really had to dig deep, to work on my mental strength to get me back up there again. It's amazing to have this moment and thank you to the people of Japan for making this happen."
Slingsby was full of praise in a personal Facebook post: "I just wanted to say a huge congratulations to Matt Wearn on winning his gold medal with a day to spare," he wrote. "A beautiful display of racing, especially after a tough first couple of races."
Wearn, who began sailing at the age of five, was a skinny 14-year-old in Mandurah when he first registered on Slingsby's radar.
"I remember my old coach Arthur Brett saying, 'this kid has got it'. I totally agreed after coaching him, and we both said he'd be an Olympic champion one day. Today is that day. Well done!"
Of course, behind every Olympic medal is an unsung coach, and Slingsby's post wasn't all about Wearn. Rather, he recognised the guy who the cameras don't see when a gold medal is collected. A legend of Australian sailing who is mostly anonymous. Coach Michael Blackburn.
"Blackers has now coached three back-to-back Olympic champions and has created a legacy in Australian sailing and the Laser class in general that 'Australia will win gold in the Laser class'," Slingsby adds.
"That's all Blackers. When he joined me, I had just come off choking as the favourite in the 2008 Olympics. I was not in a great place. Over the course of 2009 I started with a 57th place in France, and a 19th at the Worlds. I was confused and had lost my motivation to win."
Blackburn helped restore Slingsby's drive and determination, not by tinkering with the boat but by fine-tuning the athlete.
Together they set a path to 2012, with three world titles, a World Sailor of the Year award and an Olympic Gold medal all being achieved.
"I say we, because Blackers is just as much a winner as I was. I could not have done it without him. His passion, technical and mental skills make him one of the best coaches I've ever seen, hands down.
"So, when Wearny collects his Gold medal, stand up, cheer and applaud him. He deserves it. But also stand up, cheer and applaud Blackers, because he deserves it.
"And while you are doing both of those things, spare a thought for all of the coaches out there who go unnoticed, behind the scenes working tirelessly, helping their athletes strive to be the best they can be, because they deserve it too."
Ben Drzyzga
Newcastle Herald print producer.
Newcastle Herald print producer.
