• London Olympics 2012

Ainslie to defend Finn title at London 2012

ESPN staff
September 20, 2011
Ben Ainslie will compete in his fifth Olympic Games © Getty Images
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Ben Ainslie will have the chance to go for a fourth Olympic gold medal at London 2012 after being selected by Team GB at the first available opportunity.

The three-time Olympic champion, who only returned to the Finn class last autumn after his America's Cup ambitions fell through, beat team-mates Ed Wright and Giles Scott, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, to claim the only British spot in the class.

It will be Ainslie's fifth Olympic games, and a chance to add a fifth medal to his collection, which includes three golds and a silver medal from his first games in Atlanta in 1996.

"It's an honour to be selected for Team GB - having my selection for 2012 confirmed is obviously a big relief," Ainslie said.

Sailors in seven of the 10 Olympic classes were named by Team GB on Tuesday; Beijing Star class gold medalists Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson and defending champion Paul Goodison will also be part of the team in Weymouth next summer.

Windsurfers Bryony Shaw and Nick Dempsey have also been named, while Lucy Macgregor, her sister Kate and Annie Lush will represent Britain in the women's Elliott 6m match-racing event.

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will compete in the women's 470 class, leaving just three crews to be selected before next summer's Games. The remaining three classes - the 49er, men's 470 and Laser Radial - will be named before May, with the World Championships in Australia in December likely to play a big part in selection.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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