Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie

About Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie

Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie, CBE (born 5 February 1977), best known as Ben Ainslie, is an English competitive sailor. The most successful sailor in Olympic history, Ainslie won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996-2012, including gold at the last four.

He was the first person to win medals in five different Olympic Games in sailing, the third person to win five Olympic medals in that sport (after Torben Grael and Robert Scheidt) and also the second to win four gold medals, after Paul Elvstrøm.

Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie Achievements

Olympics:

2000 Summer Olympics-Gold Medal

2004 Summer Olympics-Gold Medal

2008 Summer Olympics-Gold Medal

2012 Summer Olympics-Gold Medal

1996 Summer Olympics-Sliver Medal

World Championship:

World Championships Titles:

1st 1993 Laser Radial World Championships

1st 1995 IYRU Youth Sailing World Championships in Hamilton, Bermuda.

1st 1998 Laser World Championships

1st 1999 Laser World Championships

1st 2002 Finn World Championships

1st 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships which effectively is the Finn World Championships

1st 2004 Finn World Championships

1st 2005 Finn World Championships

1st 2008 Finn World Championships

1st 2010 ISAF Open Match Racing World Championship

1st 2012 Finn World Championships

Other World Championships Results:

73rd 1989 Optimist World Championships held in Japan

109th 1991 Optimist World Championships held in Greece

37th 1992 Optimist World Championships held in Argentina

2nd 1994 IYRU Youth Sailing World Championships in Marathon

43rd 1994 Laser World Championship

21st 1995 Laser World Championship

3rd 1996 Laser World Championship

3rd 1997 Laser World Championship

3rd 2000 Laser World Championship

3rd 2009 Etchells World Championships

11th 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships which effectively is the Finn World Championship

Awards and honours:

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 New Year Honours after his success in Sydney and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours following the Athens Games. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours following the Beijing Games and was created a Knight Bachelor in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to sailing.Ainslie won the International Sailing Federation top Award more times than anyone else being named ISAF World Sailor of the Year in 1998, 2002, 2008, and 2012. He was also nominated in 2004 and 2011.

On 19 May 2012, Ainslie became the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the UK. Starting the 70-day tour of the United Kingdom at Land's End, he was the first of 8,000 torch carriers, passing the flame to 18-year-old Cornish surfer Tassy Swallow.

His gold medal at the 2012 Olympics was presented by two Royal former Olympians, Princess Anne and King Constantine of Greece. He was selected on 11 August 2012 to carry the flag for the Great Britain team at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.

British Yachtsman of the Year:

Ainslie was awarded the title of British Yachtsman of the Year in 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2002. He was nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2012 and 2013.