News/Results Archive

Ben takes Gold at Beijing Olympics

Ben takes Gold at Beijing Olympics

Ben Ainslie became the most successful sailor in British Olympic history  by winning his third successive gold medal.

Ainslie added the Finn gold in Beijing to the Laser silver he won Atlanta in 1996 aged just 19, his gold in the Laser at Sydney 2000 and his Finn gold in Athens four years ago.
It means he has overhauled Rodney Pattison as Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor. Pattison won golds at Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972, and silver in Montreal in 1976, all in the Flying Dutchman class.

Ainslie has now won three successive Olympic gold medals and medalled at each of his four Olympic Games.

He had already done the hard work ahead of today’s (Sunday) double points final and was guaranteed at least a silver medal going into the race.
Although he started the Beijing 2008 series finishing 10th in the first race, he recorded three first places and two seconds to head the leaderboard with 21 points – 12 clear of Zach Railey of the USA – going into today’s final race.
Ainslie never looked at risk today – he controlled the race from the front to end the competition on 23 points – 22 ahead of silver medallist Railey.
Read full article on the Team GB news website

Further Information on Ben Ainslie

Visit Ben's website;  www.benainslie.com
Team GB - official olympic website;  Ben Ainslie - atheletes profile
Wikipedia encyclopedia entry;  Ben Ainslie

What the papers had to say  of Ben's Olympic Gold

Times Online
Ben Ainslie has made it double gold for Britain at the Olympic sailing regatta with a convincing victory to underline his credentials as the nation's finest dinghy sailor of all time.

Guardian online
Ben Ainslie was asked if he considered himself Superman. A small, slightly self-effacing smile flickered over his lips: "As far as I know I'm human." His competitors at the past three Olympic Games might be inclined to disagree.

Telepgraph
"It seems odd now," Ainslie said of his debut at the age of 19 in 1996 in which he lost the Laser class gold in his first of two epic battles with Brazil's Robert Scheidt, "but back then I thought I might not get another chance to win a gold medal."

BBC News
Ben Ainslie kept US rival Zach Railey at bay to claim the third Olympic gold medal of his sailing career. Ainslie, 31, sailed sublimely in rough weather to win the Finn medal race and add to golds from Athens and Sydney. "I've really enjoyed every minute of my Olympic sailing career, I'm very lucky," he told BBC Sport.