Gold for Kiwi sailors

New Zealand's women's 470 sailors have claimed the country's fourth gold medal of the London Olympics.

Jo Aleh and Olivia 'Polly' Powrie have won the medal race in Weymouth to claim gold, nearly two and a half minutes ahead of silver medallists Great Britain.

The Kiwis only needed to finish ahead of the home team in the final race to win the regatta.

Aleh says their decision to break right at the start paid off.

Olivia Powrie says they got the early advantage of Great Britain and kept it.

"I think they were a bit boxed in by some of the other competitors on the course, so I imagine they would've been keeping an eye on us, and trying to get that way, but we had a race plan and we tried to stick with it."

Aleh says standing on the podium was overwhelming.

"That was quite a moment, I guess I hadn't really thought about it until I got up there and I was like 'wow'. You know, the anthem, the flag, it's like nothing else. I really felt so proud to be a Kiwi."

Powrie says it's the achievement of a lifetime.

"You can't describe it, when you're standing up on the podium watching your flag go up and listening to the anthem."

The gold medal is New Zealand's first sailing outside of boardsailing since 1984.

It's the sailors' second medal of the Games, and takes New Zealand into 15th on the overall medal table.

Photo: Getty Images