A DISAPPOINTING medal race did not detract from Tom Squires’s pride as he finished seventh on his Olympic debut.

The Kingston Bagpuize windsurfer was sixth in the leaderboard going into the final day of RS:X racing in Japan, but he could not make up the gap to the top three.

Three athletes were disqualified during a dramatic event, with the 27-year-old last of those to finish.

Despite his frustration at how it ended, Squires took the positives from an unforgettable experience.

He said: “It was my weakest conditions and I really struggled for pace as well as making a bit too many mistakes, but I just hope I’ve done Team GB proud.

“I feel like I’ve given everything, so I can’t be disappointed with how far I’ve come in such a short space of time.

“I really appreciate all the support back home and I’ve loved pretty much every minute of it.

“If someone had told me that I’d be in the medal race at the Olympics battling it out for a medal and being in the top ten in the world before I came out, I would’ve taken that.

“It just takes a while, because you’ve got so many emotions from each individual race to put together.”