NIKI Birrell has declared himself happy despite missing out on a gold medal at the Paralympic regatta in Rio.

Instead the Knutsford sailor will bring back a bronze gong from Brazil – the same colour prize he claimed four years ago.

“To have two Paralympic medals is just surreal,” he said.

“They don’t come easy!”

Along with crewmate Alexandra Rickham, the 30-year-old had a chance to take second spot in the SKUD18 class for Great Britain heading into Saturday’s final race.

They trailed Canada’s John McRoberts and Jackie Gay by a single point, which prompted an encounter that ebbed and flowed throughout before their rivals reached the finish in third place.

Birrell and Rickham, four seconds further back, followed them over the line.

Defending champions Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch, representing Australia, had already secured gold with two races to spare.

Birrell, who was born with cerebral palsy, added: “Rio has been fantastic, and we’ve really enjoyed it. To get all 11 races in is awesome.

“We came to win gold, but we’re super happy with bronze because we had to fight so hard in our boat all week for every position.”

That was nowhere more apparent than in the regatta’s concluding race.

Poland occupied fourth place before the start, and kept alive their medal hopes by taking line honours ahead of America.

A fight for decisive positions unfolded behind, and Birrell and Rickham held an advantage over McRoberts and Gay after two of three laps on a course below Sugarloaf Mountain.

Rickham said: “It was a really stressful race.

“But we had good boat speed, and Niki was making some really good calls.

“It was close for silver, but John and Jackie sailed a fabulous regatta and deserve that medal.

“We’re just elated, and relieved too.”

Birrell, from High Legh, believes his chance of winning gold ended on Thursday, when the British crew collected fifth and fourth place finishes.

Their Australian rivals, already in front at the top of the standings, recorded a pair of wins to move 15 points clear.

“Unfortunately we had a bad day,” he said.

“We didn’t get the boat going fast at all and nor did we start well.

“The important thing was to bounce back for the final three races with it being so close between second, third and fourth.

“Nobody wants to finish fourth!

“I’d like to thank everyone who has ever helped us, but for now I’m looking forward to arriving home and seeing my wife again.”