AIS scholarship holders Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson secured a second sailing gold for Australia after winning the Olympic women's 470 title.

Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout of the Netherlands won silver and Brazil's Fernanda Oliveira and Isabel Swan claimed bronze.

Parkinson and Rechichi, the youngest members of Australia's sailing team, made it an Australian sweep of the 470 class after men's pair Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (both AIS) won gold.

The Australian girls took a huge lead into the medal race over their nearest rivals, Dutch pair Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout.

De Koning and Berkhout won silver and Brazil's Fernanda Oliveira and Isabel Swan claimed bronze.

The only way Parkinson and Rechichi could have lost their grip on gold was if they finished last in the final race and the Dutch pair claimed victory.

But the Brazilian pair won the final race to guarantee Australia gold after they coasted home to finish ninth.

Parkinson paid tribute to the tremendous support they had received from the AIS sailing program.

‘The AIS has been incredible in helping both Elise and I achieve our Olympic dream.’ Parkinson said.

‘The support from our coaches, doctors and sports scientists has really been first class.’

Head Coach, Victor Kovalenko, has paid tribute to both athletes amazing achievement.

'To win an Olympic Games gold medal takes hours and hours of training and perseverance.' Kovalenko said. 'Both Elise and Tessa have worked really hard to achieve this great result for Australia.'

AIS Director Professor Peter Fricker was equally as proud and paid tribute to the athlete’s persistence and determination.

'This result is an outstanding success both for Elise, Tessa, Victor and for the AIS sailing program,' Fricker said

'There gold medal is a real testament to both athlete’s personal commitment to their sport and their training program here at the AIS.’

The Australian Institute of Sport was established in 1981, and has consistently contributed to Australia’s outstanding sporting performance on the world stage.

The Australian Olympic team in Beijing consists of 433 athletes. Of these, there are 262 current or former AIS athletes.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC), on behalf of the Australian Government, invests in and supports our Olympians and Paralympians in many ways.

In addition to the $18.1 million the ASC provided to the AIS in 2007/08, the ASC also funded the athletes’ sports to the tune of $53.4 million in 2007/08.

Furthermore, the ASC provided direct funding totalling $4.3 million to more than 400 athletes in 2007/08 — vital support for athletes in their preparation for sporting success. This represents a total Australian government investment of $75.8 million in 2007/08 for our Olympians and Paralympians. The ASC is committed to providing all Australians with the best opportunity possible to participate in sport.