Ben Ainslie

Name: Ben Ainslie

Country: Great Britaion

Birth date and place: 05/02/1977 - Macclesfield (GBR)

Gender: 35

Weight: 90 kg / 198 lbs

Height: 183 cm / 6'0"

Sport: Sailing (Men's Finn)

RANK	EVENT	YEAR	LOCATION		RESULT
Olympic Games
1	Finn	2008	Beijing, CHN		X
1	Finn	2004	Athens, GRE		X
1	Laser	2000	Sydney, NSW, AUS		X
2	Laser	1996	Atlanta, GA, USA		X
World Championships
1	Finn	2012	Falmouth, GBR		X
1	Finn	2008	Melbourne, VIC, AUS		X
1	Finn	2005	Moscow, RUS		X
1	Finn	2004	Rio de Janeiro, BRA		X
1	Finn	2003	Cadiz, ESP		X
1	Finn	2002	Athens, GRE		X
1	Laser	1999	Melbourne, VIC, AUS		X
3	Laser	2000	Cancun, MEX		X
3	Laser	1997	Algarrobo, CHI		X
3	Laser	1996	Simon’s Town, RSA		X
World Cup
1	Finn	2012		Palma de Mallorca, ESP	X
1	Finn	2011		Weymouth, GBR	X
1	Finn	2011		Hyeres, FRA	X
1	Finn	2011		Palma de Mallorca, ESP	X
1	Finn	2011		Melbourne, VIC, AUS	X
2	Finn	2011		Miami, FL, USA	X

Hobbies
Cycling, football, flying, tennis, trying to get computers to work. (Athlete, 18 Sep 1999)

Occupation
Athlete

Education
Business - Peter Symonds College, Winchester, GBR

Language(s) spoken
English

Club name
Royal Lymington Yacht Club, Lymington, GBR

Coach
Jez Fanstone (GBR) (teamgb.com, 2012)

Other sports
His father sailed in the Whitbread round-the-world race. (Athlete, 18 Sep 1999)

Injuries
He had surgery on his back in January 2012 to correct a niggling injury that had troubled him for some time. (benainslie.com, 03 Feb 2012)

Additional information
Start of sporting career
He took up sailing at the age of seven. (BBC, 19 Jan 2012)

Reason for taking up this sport
His father Roddy was a proficient sailor who had skippered 'Second Life' in the first Whitbread Round the World Race of 1973-74, so naturally encouraged Ben's interest. (Athlete, 02 Aug 2007)

Ambitions
To win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It would be his fourth Olympic gold in a row and fifth Olympic medal in a row.(LOCOG, 30 Jun 2012)

Hero
Russell Coutts. (Athlete, 20 Jun 1999)

Most influential person in career
His parents. (benainslie.com, 2011)

Superstitions / Rituals
He cleans his boat before competition and tries to have a Chinese meal before each race. (Athlete, 18 Sep 1999)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"The big thing with sailing is that you have to enjoy it because it's a really complex sport and you need to always want to be learning, always want to improve and you need good people supporting you. So get out there and go for it - dreams can come true." (ISAF, 24 Nov 2008)

Awards
He is a three time World Sailor of the Year [2008, 2002, 1998]. (benainslie.com, 2011)

He was made Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in 2001, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [OBE] in 2005 and Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [CBE] in 2008. (benainslie.com, 2011)

In 2008 he was named the British Olympic Association [BOA] Olympic Sailor of the Year. (benainslie.com, 2011)

In 2004 he became the first Briton ever to win three consecutive world titles in the Finn class and only the second person in the 55 year history of the class to have done so. In the same year he was inducted into the Finn Hall of Fame. (Yachts and Yachting, 23 Feb 2004; benainslie.com, 2011)

He has been named British Yachtsmen of the Year five times [1999, 2000 and 2002, 2004, 2008]. (benainslie.com, 2011)

GeneralRACING FOR THE RECORD
A gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London would be his fourth first-place finish in a row and fifth medal in a row, making him the most successful Olympic sailor ever. He won silver at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and followed that up with golds in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. (LOCOG, 30 Jun 2012)

MEDIA BOAT CONTROVERSY
At the 2011 ISAF World Championships in Perth, Australia, a media boat came too close to his boat and slowed him down. After the race he jumped into the water, swam over to the media boat and climbed aboard to chastise its passengers. His actions, which were determined to be an example of gross misconduct, got him banned for two races. He later apologised for his actions. "I regretted what happened and am sorry. To jump on to a press boat is not a great image for young sailors." (dailyecho.co.uk, 12 Dec 2011; telegraph.co.uk, 02 Feb 2012)

SUPPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT
In an interview with the BBC, IOC President Jacques ROGGE described Ainslie's feat in winning a third sailing gold as the equal of swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt. "For me, his achievement is as valid as Phelps or Bolt," said Rogge. "The others can win two or three all the way up to eight. What they do is fantastic, but what Ainslie does is equally fantastic." (ISAF, 24 Nov 2008)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He is patron of the John Merricks Sailing Trust, set up in memory of his friend and 1996 Olympic Games team-mate John Merricks who died in a car accident in 1997. The trust is designed to help young sailors and youth sailing organisations who need support. "John was not only a great sailor but his attitude to the sport was a terrific example to all young sailors of the future," he said. (John Merricks Sailing Trust. 29 Nov 2007)

Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000, Atlanta 1996


Source: LONDON2012.COM