Now that the Coal Point sailor has stood on top of the Games' podium it simply feels "unbelievable".

Ryan and crewmate Mat Belcher were officially crowned champions of the men's 470 class in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"It's unbelievable to be here, to have done this. I remember thinking as a kid that Olympic gold just seemed unreachable, and yet here we are," Ryan told AOC media.

Having dominated the regatta at Enoshima harbour from start to finish, the Aussies sealed victory in style.

With an unassailable lead from the 10 preliminary rounds and simply needing to complete the course in the medal race, Ryan and Belcher began safely in last position but over the next 90 minutes they maneuvered their way through the field to cross the line first.

It sparked celebrations from the vessel to the shoreline, where Ryan's sister and fellow Olympic representative Jaime watched on, and back home at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.

Once they made dry land, they were met with hugs, high fives and champagne before being lifted off the water, boat and all, by the Australian sailing squad.

Eventually placing the medals around each other's necks and singing the national anthem together, the duo achieved what they narrowly missed with silver in Rio five years ago.

"There's so much that goes in behind the scenes, and this win is for every single person that's helped us along our journey," Ryan said.

The event will no longer continue at Olympic competition, replaced by a mixed gender crew in Paris in 2024.

Belcher, now Australia's most decorated Olympic sailor, has dominated the division for a decade with another gold in the two-person dinghy alongside Malcolm Page in 2012.

"It's probably a good time to end my Olympic sailing career. But I haven't made any firm decisions yet," Belcher told AOC media.

The success also cements the reputation of the team's coach Victor Kovalenko, also known as 'the medal maker'.

Kovalenko, a Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee, now has a staggering tally of seven golds as mentor.

"We wanted this for Victor, we wanted this for our families," Ryan said.

Ryan follows in the footsteps of fellow Lake Macquarie sailors Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, who clinched gold in the men's 49er skiff at the London Games nine years ago.

Speaking to Australia's official Olympic broadcaster the Seven Network, Ryan said he and Belcher had no hesitation chasing another win on Wednesday.

"Mat and I are just such competitive people, we just didn't want to not win that last race," the 32-year-old said.

"I think that almost means just as much as the rest of it. That's everything about our campaign. We're like that together and that's why we sail well together."

The five-time world champions finished on 23 points, notching up four wins and eight podiums from 11 races. Only once did they miss the top five.

Next best were Sweden (45) and Spain (55).

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