After the cyclists and the rowers, it was the turn of Britain’s other “sit down,” sporting stars, the sailors to grab Olympic gold yesterday as they held on to titles won four years ago in Athens.
Ben Ainslie became Britain’s most successful Olympic yachtsman by winning his third gold medal as he repeated his 2004 Finn class triumph.
Earlier, the women’s Yngling category saw Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, two-thirds of the “three blondes in a boat” who took gold on Greek seas, triumph again with Pippa Wilson now on board instead of Shirley Robertson.
PHOTO: AP
Light winds had been a persistent problem at Qingdao, with several events postponed, including the Finn medal race.
Ironically, given all that had gone before, it was rough weather that confronted the crews yesterday. But conditions whether fair or foul proved no problem for the 31-year-old Ainslie.
Eventual silver medalist Zach Railey started the medal race needing to finish higher than fifth and more than four boats ahead of Ainslie. It was a tall order and one which Ainslie made impossible by winning the final race of his regatta.
Matters were much closer heading into the climax of the Yngling event, with the British crew just one point ahead of closest rivals the Netherlands.
But they too finished in style, winning the final race by seven seconds from Germany as the Dutch faded and dropped down the field.
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