Ben Ainslie

The most successful British sailor in Olympic history, Ben Ainslie will be competing in his fifth and final Games in London. A world title in the Laser class in 2003 signalled Ainslie’s arrival on the international stage, and he won silver in the same class at the Atlanta Olympics before going one better in Sydney. Awarded an MBE in the Queen’s honours list in 2001, Ainslie moved up a weight class to Finn, winning four straight World Championship titles and a gold medal at the Athens Olympics. Unbeaten in the Finn class between the Athens and Beijing Games, Ainslie was red-hot favourite and didn’t disappoint, picking up his third gold and fourth Olympic medal to move behind rowers Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent in the list of Britain’s greatest ever Olympians. Finally defeated in a Finn competition in 2010 after six years unbeaten, Ainslie’s preparation for London was hit by disqualification at the 2011 World Championships. Still amongst the favourites for gold in 2012, the silver-medallist from Beijing, Zach Riley, is likely to provide the sternest test.