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What are you doing at this time next year? Millions of us will | :00:31. | :00:36. | |
forgo our summer holidays or make sure we are at home for the first | :00:36. | :00:46. | |
:00:46. | :00:50. | ||
two weeks in August, the pulling Holmes! Two gold medals for Rebecca | :00:51. | :00:59. | |
Adlington! You are brilliant! Chris Hoy is coming up to the line! | :00:59. | :01:09. | |
:01:09. | :01:10. | ||
This is where Britain is expecting to deliver. In the last three | :01:10. | :01:14. | |
Olympic Games, six British golds have been buoyant in the athletics | :01:14. | :01:21. | |
stadiums. -- have been won. But Britain's sailors have done miles | :01:21. | :01:31. | |
:01:31. | :01:40. | ||
gold medal! The third British gold medal, Welburn. In Atlanta, it was | :01:40. | :01:50. | |
:01:50. | :01:52. | ||
silver, but for the last three, it Britain's Olympic sailors have led | :01:52. | :01:56. | |
the world, so there is every expectation that the medal haul is | :01:56. | :02:01. | |
not going to be just in the capital. But in the place where you can | :02:01. | :02:08. | |
spend two weeks on the beach and still be part of the Games. | :02:08. | :02:14. | |
Weymouth and Portland is the venue for sailing. It is getting ready | :02:14. | :02:24. | |
:02:24. | :02:30. | ||
It is a short drive from the beach to the place where it will happen. | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
This August, there is a dress rehearsal, everything is for real, | :02:34. | :02:38. | |
just like the Olympic Games. Can Britain walkaway from the Olympic | :02:38. | :02:44. | |
test event with a stack of medals? Beijing delivered six, four of them | :02:44. | :02:51. | |
gold medals. Can this team do better? Tremendous success in | :02:51. | :02:56. | |
Beijing, there is pressure to perform even better next year. | :02:56. | :03:00. | |
is a home Olympic Games, there is added pressure, primarily through | :03:00. | :03:04. | |
the public expectation, but from our perspective, we will try just | :03:04. | :03:10. | |
as hard as we have been in recent Olympic Games. Thinking back to the | :03:10. | :03:13. | |
test event before the Beijing Olympics, the team that went there | :03:13. | :03:18. | |
went to the Olympics. The sailors that we are seeing this week, will | :03:18. | :03:24. | |
they be the same next year? Historically, we know that the 80% | :03:24. | :03:30. | |
of the sailors two represent the team at the test event will be the | :03:30. | :03:34. | |
team that will represent the country at the Olympic Games. There | :03:34. | :03:38. | |
is some competition still to happen in a number of events. There is a | :03:38. | :03:45. | |
lot of very competitive sailors in our squad who will be hoping that | :03:45. | :03:50. | |
that statistic is incorrect this time around. 10 Olympic gold medals | :03:50. | :03:56. | |
can be won in sailing in a variety of hard work, from windsurfing to | :03:56. | :04:01. | |
birds like this. It weighs as much as a small car and requires either | :04:01. | :04:06. | |
a crane or a forklift to put it in the water. Five gold medals can be | :04:06. | :04:11. | |
won by sailors competing on their own. Four by those racing as part | :04:11. | :04:18. | |
of a two person team. And at one, a boat like this, with three on board. | :04:18. | :04:22. | |
Run in the Olympics is his huge merger stickle exercise, there are | :04:22. | :04:27. | |
five courses, some close to land, other's way out in Weymouth Bay. | :04:27. | :04:32. | |
Most classes have 10 races over a week, and after that, there is the | :04:32. | :04:39. | |
cut. Just the top 10 after 10 races head into the medal race final. 30 | :04:39. | :04:46. | |
minutes of racing that decides gold, silver and bronze. In sailing, | :04:46. | :04:56. | |
:04:56. | :04:56. | ||
there is just one for each of the 10 classes. A sailing team consists | :04:56. | :05:02. | |
of 16 people, nine men and seven women. For Britain, many potential | :05:02. | :05:08. | |
medal winners will not be going. Take the 49er class, five out of | :05:08. | :05:12. | |
the top 10 internationally are British. It is tough, only one will | :05:12. | :05:18. | |
go to the Olympics, for the other four, they will be watching from | :05:18. | :05:23. | |
home. There is no easy route to securing a place, with so many | :05:23. | :05:27. | |
world-class sailors to choose from, competition is fierce. Three of the | :05:27. | :05:33. | |
gold medal winners from Beijing are looking for a repeat performance. | :05:33. | :05:36. | |
Having won an Olympic gold does not mean you get a free ticket to the | :05:36. | :05:46. | |
:05:46. | :05:50. | ||
Ben Ainslie is not just our most successful Olympic sailor ever, but | :05:51. | :05:54. | |
one of Britain's most successful Olympians, with three gold medals | :05:54. | :06:02. | |
already. With a record like that, you would imagine that his journey | :06:02. | :06:05. | |
to the 2012 Olympics would be routine. But nothing in this | :06:06. | :06:14. | |
competition is that predictable. He races the Finn, the largest and | :06:14. | :06:20. | |
most powerful single-handed class. After the last Olympics, he put his | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
Olympic life on hold. He returned two years later, and the class was | :06:26. | :06:30. | |
brimming with fresh talent. That talent was not about to let the | :06:30. | :06:36. | |
Olympic champion come back without a fight. Before there could be any | :06:36. | :06:40. | |
talk about his fourth Olympic gold medal, there was some street | :06:40. | :06:45. | |
fighting to be done on home soil. You came into this Olympiad late, | :06:45. | :06:52. | |
your plans were elsewhere. Yes, the America's Cup as the focus before | :06:52. | :06:56. | |
and after the Olympics, but ultimately, that fell apart, which | :06:56. | :07:02. | |
was sad, but I was able to get focused on the Olympics again. | :07:02. | :07:11. | |
off-peak were you? Massively. I had not stepped in a boat for two years. | :07:11. | :07:16. | |
In any sport, that is a huge amount of time. I was doing other sailing | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
at, but in terms of being in the boat I was supposed to be racing, | :07:21. | :07:29. | |
it was a lot of time away, so I was thirsty. -- I was thirsty. | :07:29. | :07:34. | |
He knew he was of a Olympic pace, and was at the beginning of a | :07:34. | :07:39. | |
journey to get back on it. He was beaten a year ago by one of the | :07:39. | :07:43. | |
British sailors allowed to take his place, the ferociously talented | :07:43. | :07:49. | |
Giles Scott, 10 years under, and Ben Ainslie finished off the podium | :07:49. | :07:52. | |
in fourth place. -- 10 years younger. | :07:52. | :07:56. | |
Proving that you can win in Weymouth is massive, because it is | :07:56. | :08:01. | |
where the Olympics are. It is worth a lot. | :08:02. | :08:08. | |
Exactly one year later, the Bible's met again here in Weymouth -- | :08:08. | :08:12. | |
rivals. The battle raged all week as each man pulled himself to the | :08:12. | :08:22. | |
:08:22. | :08:30. | ||
Ainslie is trying to squeeze around. Ben Ainslie has got to do a penalty | :08:30. | :08:37. | |
turn. Scott can sail away, it is a real battle. All credit to Scott, | :08:37. | :08:46. | |
he is not crumbling under the Scott was trailing it going into | :08:46. | :08:54. | |
the final race, but he could still win. The winner would go into the | :08:54. | :09:04. | |
:09:04. | :09:08. | ||
Scot finishes right at the back. He is doing a perfect job. We have | :09:08. | :09:12. | |
seen it so many times at the Olympic Games, so often it comes | :09:12. | :09:22. | |
:09:22. | :09:22. | ||
down to a head to head, and Ben Britain's best ever Olympic sailor | :09:22. | :09:26. | |
had done what most assumed would be a foregone conclusion. | :09:26. | :09:30. | |
There is an expectation that, whenever you step into a boat, it | :09:30. | :09:37. | |
will be successful. That follows you around. How frustrating was it | :09:37. | :09:45. | |
to have people start to doubt you? You always have your doubters. | :09:45. | :09:51. | |
Again, it is in any sport, people are keen to knock people off their | :09:51. | :09:55. | |
perch. It is tough when you have moved away from an arena weighty | :09:55. | :10:01. | |
were dominant and you come back and that is not the case any more. It | :10:01. | :10:07. | |
is hard work. A couple of times, I had to have a good think about how | :10:07. | :10:13. | |
I would make that happen. We are a year away from the real thing, how | :10:13. | :10:21. | |
off peak do you think you are? Right now, there is a lot I can | :10:21. | :10:28. | |
improve on, physically, I am running around 85, 90%. Technically, | :10:28. | :10:32. | |
we are always looking to improved. You have got to keep pushing | :10:32. | :10:38. | |
forward and make the Games. What about the other gold medal | :10:38. | :10:42. | |
winners? How have they fed in their attempt to get themselves back to | :10:42. | :10:50. | |
the Olympic Games? In the Star class, the most technical of all | :10:50. | :10:54. | |
classes, the British team have announced -- have an outstanding | :10:54. | :11:04. | |
:11:04. | :11:09. | ||
picture, the Germans crossed the line. The Britons have won the gold | :11:09. | :11:17. | |
medal! Brilliant! Ben Ainslie, how close was at? I am speechless, that | :11:17. | :11:25. | |
is the closest race I have ever There was never any doubt about | :11:25. | :11:28. | |
this team from Beijing making the cut for the British team at the | :11:29. | :11:33. | |
Olympic test event. Ben Ainslie has had a battle to | :11:33. | :11:37. | |
qualify, but it has been different for you. We have got a good | :11:37. | :11:41. | |
relationship with the young guys, but we work as a team, they are | :11:41. | :11:47. | |
looking more to the future. With no other strong British | :11:47. | :11:56. | |
competition, their place is secured. But since Paul Goodison came back | :11:57. | :12:03. | |
from Beijing, he has been peddling hard to stay as Britain's number | :12:03. | :12:13. | |
:12:13. | :12:21. | ||
The simplicity provides the ultimate test of skill. Since | :12:21. | :12:26. | |
Beijing, his progress has not been plain sailing. Last year, at the | :12:26. | :12:32. | |
World Championships, he missed the podium. But another British sailor, | :12:32. | :12:37. | |
Nick Thompson, finished second. Their rivalry as they battled for | :12:37. | :12:40. | |
the one slot at the Games intensified. | :12:40. | :12:48. | |
Quite competitive, we played golf, table tennis, pulled together. We | :12:48. | :12:53. | |
do not like to let the other one win. That is quite intense. | :12:54. | :13:00. | |
A month ago, Thompson was here at the regatta in Weymouth, where the | :13:00. | :13:04. | |
first British sailor to finish would get the only slot in the | :13:04. | :13:08. | |
Laser class at the test event and take a major step forward to | :13:08. | :13:14. | |
selection for London 2012. The man on form was Nick Thompson. Halfway | :13:14. | :13:24. | |
:13:24. | :13:27. | ||
through, he was five places ahead You have beat the last Gold | :13:27. | :13:31. | |
Medallist. How intense has it been? I have been training non-stop with | :13:32. | :13:36. | |
Paul and other guys about trying to raise my game and get myself in a | :13:36. | :13:41. | |
position that I'm able to go to the Olympics. Then Paul decided to | :13:41. | :13:47. | |
carry on and so it makes it tough. But it has been good for both of us | :13:47. | :13:53. | |
and pushed us on and made us both raise our game and realise to beat | :13:53. | :13:57. | |
each other we must be one of the best in the world. He is a talented | :13:58. | :14:03. | |
sailor. He has medalled at the World Championship. So we have a | :14:03. | :14:07. | |
good relationship off the water. As the trials comes around, it gets | :14:07. | :14:13. | |
more intense. You don't hang out with each other as much and you are | :14:13. | :14:18. | |
fighting each other and the end of the day. Things started well for | :14:18. | :14:24. | |
nick Thompson in the early part of week, carving out an impressive | :14:24. | :14:33. | |
advantage. However half way through event, his fortunes changed. Wile | :14:33. | :14:37. | |
Goodison found form and began to chase his younger rival. | :14:37. | :14:45. | |
COMMENTATOR: This is Paul Goodison just ahead of the bunch. He rounds | :14:45. | :14:51. | |
in fifth. Here is Nick Thompson. He is back in the bunch and he is | :14:51. | :15:01. | |
:15:01. | :15:05. | ||
struggling. A destiny this display secured his place in the Olympic | :15:05. | :15:15. | |
:15:15. | :15:23. | ||
team and left his friend and rival You probably had one of the toughst | :15:23. | :15:30. | |
trials of any nationality. Yeah, it's not been easy, Nick is a | :15:30. | :15:40. | |
:15:40. | :15:40. | ||
fantastic sailor. He didn't quite keep it together. How are you | :15:40. | :15:48. | |
feeling now? OK. Not great. You know? A bit frustrated really. If | :15:48. | :15:53. | |
only I had done one of the days differently. It was all going well | :15:53. | :15:58. | |
and then just one day sort of pushed me back and made it all | :15:58. | :16:02. | |
tough and from then it was a case of trying to work through the fleet | :16:02. | :16:07. | |
and that was a difficult thing to do. I read your tweet, where you | :16:07. | :16:12. | |
said sorry to everyone. Yeah, I feel a bit disappointed in myself | :16:12. | :16:16. | |
and how the week's gone and also I feel like I have let a few people | :16:16. | :16:21. | |
down and the people who supported me. So, yeah, just... You know I | :16:21. | :16:31. | |
feel a bit bad. Not great. For now his dream is all be over. But he | :16:31. | :16:41. | |
:16:41. | :16:56. | ||
has got the talent to continue the All three of our returning Gold | :16:56. | :17:00. | |
Medallists from Beijing will be part of the British team. If any of | :17:00. | :17:07. | |
them medal here there will be a guaranteed place for next year. | :17:07. | :17:12. | |
Burr there are 450 sailors from 65 nations trying to stop the British. | :17:12. | :17:22. | |
One of the strongest is the team from down uner -- down under. | :17:22. | :17:31. | |
of your boys going to watch the Aussie's Kim the Poms'? Tfrpblgt | :17:31. | :17:36. | |
British team is great. They have a lot of -- the British team it | :17:36. | :17:41. | |
grease they have a lot. They have Ben Ainslie. We have a couple of | :17:41. | :17:45. | |
strong guys. But we don't have as many people as they do. But we try | :17:45. | :17:53. | |
to knock them off in our good classes. You beaten the Poms in | :17:53. | :17:58. | |
your class? Of course. Are you got them. We have got them too. Don't | :17:58. | :18:02. | |
threat beer and chips fool you. They may not look like it, but | :18:02. | :18:09. | |
around this table are five of the best sailors in the world. One has | :18:09. | :18:16. | |
been voted word sailor of the world. Unbeaten in the lacer class at | :18:16. | :18:23. | |
Weymouth. -- laser class at Weymouth. The form team in the 49er. | :18:23. | :18:31. | |
Then there is Matthew Belcher and Malcolm Page in the 470. Ranked No | :18:31. | :18:37. | |
1. This team are a formidable talent. It is always great to beat | :18:37. | :18:43. | |
the Poms. There will be a rivalry, Australia loves beating England in | :18:43. | :18:53. | |
anything. Sailing is no exception. Just how will the British team | :18:53. | :18:59. | |
perform next year? This test event should give us a good indication. | :18:59. | :19:05. | |
Can British sailors turn the waters they know well into solid gold? | :19:05. | :19:10. | |
There will be over a hundred races and this is how an Olympic race | :19:10. | :19:16. | |
works. The start is about being in the front row, having clean air. If | :19:16. | :19:23. | |
you're in the turbulent air off another boat, it will slow you down. | :19:23. | :19:28. | |
COMMENTATOR: The Polish team got the best start. They had clean air | :19:28. | :19:33. | |
and they're off, heading up wind. When you're sailing up the first | :19:33. | :19:38. | |
beat to the first mark, you're looking for wind to see if that's | :19:38. | :19:43. | |
changing. You're thinking about the current and the opposition. Sailors | :19:43. | :19:48. | |
that went to the right hand side are coming across, who got their | :19:48. | :19:54. | |
tactics right. Ben Ainslie leading the flaet here. When you come | :19:54. | :19:59. | |
around the top mark, you're bearing away and the wind's generally | :19:59. | :20:05. | |
directly behind you. Ainslie bears away. Big waves. He will look to | :20:05. | :20:11. | |
surf down these and catch a wave. We saw him in the last race in five | :20:11. | :20:19. | |
or six place on each downwind leg. He is pumping away on the sail. | :20:19. | :20:24. | |
you're in the lead, it's about keeping clean air on the downwind | :20:24. | :20:30. | |
leg to keep the speed on the upwind leg it is about the strategy of | :20:30. | :20:34. | |
what side of course you are favoured. You try to manipulate the | :20:34. | :20:37. | |
opposition to come with you and keep yourself between the | :20:37. | :20:43. | |
opposition and the next mark to defend that lead. That is a perfect | :20:43. | :20:53. | |
:20:53. | :21:01. | ||
When Ben Ainslie enters an competition there is an ashumion | :21:02. | :21:09. | |
that he will win. -- asup sum -- there is an assumption he will win. | :21:09. | :21:14. | |
Look at this a minute after the start and he is pulling away again. | :21:15. | :21:21. | |
Coming up to the top mark. Some of Coming up to the top mark. Some of | :21:21. | :21:31. | |
the windiest conditions. He will round this in first place. For Paul | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
Goodison, there was plenty to think about as they approached the half | :21:35. | :21:40. | |
way stage. First his Australian rival was in Silver Medal position | :21:40. | :21:44. | |
and looking forward not back. Goodison was trapped in the middle | :21:44. | :21:53. | |
of the biggest fleet at the event. COMMENTATOR: It is very crowded. | :21:53. | :21:58. | |
Colin Chang will sail around. He has fallen out. Paul Goodison is | :21:58. | :22:05. | |
behind him. I can see him. Goodison is out of trouble. He is fifth at | :22:05. | :22:13. | |
the moment. He is chasing now, leading the race. In the star class | :22:13. | :22:18. | |
it wasn't Australia that was leading, but Robert Scheidt from | :22:18. | :22:22. | |
Brazil. The British team having problems with their boat. They have | :22:22. | :22:26. | |
had major gear failure. They're getting a new boat after this. But | :22:26. | :22:33. | |
they will need a good second half of the week to get a medal. So at | :22:33. | :22:39. | |
the half way stage, two Beijing Gold Medal is struggling to get | :22:39. | :22:49. | |
:22:49. | :22:50. | ||
anywhere. For ains sli leading in the finn class. -- - for Ben | :22:50. | :22:54. | |
Ainslie leading in finn class. In the last Three games, British women | :22:54. | :23:01. | |
have won four medals in sailing and I'm proud to say, I played my part. | :23:01. | :23:06. | |
My team was labelled three blondes in a boat when we won gold in | :23:06. | :23:14. | |
Athens. My No 2 led her team of blondes to success in China. But | :23:14. | :23:23. | |
three blondes in a boat will not win gold in London 2012. Three | :23:23. | :23:31. | |
bruen ets? Now they just might. Women's racing is in the only | :23:31. | :23:39. | |
three-person boat. The Elliott 6 metre. They enter this dress | :23:39. | :23:44. | |
rehearsal as world No 1. But they're playing a different kind of | :23:44. | :23:51. | |
game too the others. Unlike the rest of the Olympic sailing, match | :23:51. | :24:00. | |
racing is a dual on water. It is a women only competition in the games. | :24:00. | :24:09. | |
But elsewhere, men compete and it gets very heated. I know this crew, | :24:09. | :24:17. | |
or rather two of them well. Lucy and any -- Annie sailed with me for | :24:17. | :24:27. | |
:24:27. | :24:29. | ||
two years. It feels very odd, Lucy steering. Why? Get at the front. | :24:29. | :24:34. | |
The game they play can be compared to a bare fist fight on the water. | :24:34. | :24:40. | |
It this a intense. A million miles from this. When we sailed, I was | :24:40. | :24:45. | |
the aggressive one and you were the quiet one. What is it like now? I | :24:45. | :24:53. | |
should ask them. I think I'm still the quiet one in many respects. But | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
it is intense. You know it is not about shouting all the time, but | :24:58. | :25:03. | |
being intense at the right moment and getting the job done. | :25:03. | :25:06. | |
remember Annie said you would come sailing us with, she was like, we | :25:06. | :25:11. | |
have no one to sail w Lucy's bringing her sister. Now you're | :25:11. | :25:15. | |
brilliant on the boat. We used to sail together when we were younger. | :25:15. | :25:20. | |
But I never thought that this would happen. Two years ago if people | :25:20. | :25:26. | |
asked me if I might have a chance of going to 2012, I was like, no. | :25:26. | :25:29. | |
I'm far too young. Too inexperienced. This time last year | :25:29. | :25:35. | |
I got to sail with Lucy and Annie. I couldn't really say No so I took | :25:35. | :25:40. | |
it up. It is the first time two sisters have competed at this level | :25:40. | :25:45. | |
and with the experience of Annie Lush, three girls in a boat have | :25:45. | :25:53. | |
the potential to make headlines. COMMENTATOR: The wish world No 1 | :25:53. | :25:58. | |
are on the attack. Goes for her rival. This is just before the | :25:58. | :26:06. | |
start. The British team are hounding their opponents. The team | :26:06. | :26:12. | |
had their moments. It is advantage Britain, Lucy McGregor with a lead. | :26:12. | :26:20. | |
She will be pleased with that. this was a bad week for the team. | :26:20. | :26:27. | |
The Australians have the British team just where they want them. | :26:27. | :26:33. | |
McGregor's on the attack again, but no no avail. That says it all. The | :26:33. | :26:38. | |
world No 1 have finished seventh here and that is a shock. Bitter | :26:38. | :26:43. | |
disappointment for the team that the form guide placed as favourites. | :26:43. | :26:47. | |
They have won year to raise their game. -- one year to raise their | :26:47. | :26:55. | |
game. Charlotte Dobbson is the British hopeful in the lacer. It | :26:55. | :27:01. | |
has a smaller sail, designed for lighter weight crew. I was with her | :27:01. | :27:06. | |
at home just two miles from the venue as she packed before moving | :27:06. | :27:11. | |
in with the squad. I like the way you have the short wet suit and two | :27:11. | :27:17. | |
bobble hats. Yes exactly. She is a new girl and about to join some of | :27:17. | :27:22. | |
her heroes. Does it feel like a big deal? It is the first time you have | :27:22. | :27:28. | |
been part of the select few? Yes it does feel a bit strange. I'm quite | :27:28. | :27:32. | |
excited about tonight, going into the team and it will be the first | :27:32. | :27:36. | |
time we're sitting having dinner together. It could be the Olympic | :27:36. | :27:41. | |
team. That is exciting. I'm trying hard not to think about that too | :27:41. | :27:49. | |
much. I'm too nervous. Here we go. It is a good job you're not flying. | :27:49. | :27:54. | |
Yes there would be the biggest excess bill. You have even got your | :27:54. | :27:59. | |
Irn Bru. You can take the girl out of Scotland! This takes me back to | :27:59. | :28:04. | |
my first games. Like Charlotte, I was sailing alone and like her, I | :28:04. | :28:11. | |
had a mixture of apprehension and excitement. The drive to the hotel | :28:11. | :28:18. | |
may only be two miles, but it is a journey that may decide if she will | :28:18. | :28:26. | |
compete in London 2012. This is it. I'm going to have to leave you here. | :28:26. | :28:29. | |
Here we go. It is a massive achievement to get into this event, | :28:29. | :28:39. | |
:28:39. | :28:43. | ||
but the pressure is now to qualify This is where it all begins. Yes! | :28:43. | :28:53. | |
:28:53. | :29:12. | ||
Dobson trying to squeeze into the gap. That will be a penalty turn. | :29:12. | :29:17. | |
She will not get a medal this week. I am sure the Olympic selection | :29:17. | :29:21. | |
will go beyond the test event, and I am sure Charlotte Dobson will be | :29:21. | :29:31. | |
:29:31. | :29:41. | ||
Bryony Shaw knows the Olympic world inside out. Her domain is the RS:X | :29:41. | :29:43. | |
windsurfing, the class that requires greater physical fitness | :29:43. | :29:47. | |
than any other. Since she made history in Beijing, she has not | :29:47. | :29:57. | |
:29:57. | :30:02. | ||
fifth medal for Great Britain on the waters, but the first British | :30:02. | :30:12. | |
:30:12. | :30:17. | ||
Since then, she has been winning on the road. She is in a class of her | :30:17. | :30:22. | |
own, and while her selection is not official, the bronze medal she won | :30:22. | :30:32. | |
:30:32. | :30:33. | ||
at the test event should seal her there is potential for an upgrade | :30:33. | :30:43. | |
:30:43. | :30:43. | ||
She is not the only British wind surfer in with a shout at their | :30:43. | :30:48. | |
medal next year. Nick Dempsey as well. Going into the last race in | :30:48. | :30:54. | |
Beijing, he was one of four that could secured a gold medal. Sarah | :30:54. | :31:04. | |
:31:04. | :31:10. | ||
Ayton, his fiancee, went out to but this race is going horribly | :31:10. | :31:17. | |
wrong. Nick Dempsey went out in the silver medal position, with the | :31:17. | :31:22. | |
prospect of a gold medal, but he is not looking at Silver, gold or even | :31:22. | :31:29. | |
bronze. The Frenchman has finished ahead of him, and that means Nick | :31:30. | :31:39. | |
:31:40. | :31:44. | ||
Dempsey will finish fourth. He will Finishing fourth only rubbed salt | :31:44. | :31:54. | |
:31:54. | :31:54. | ||
into the wind. -- wind. My heart is breaking for you, I have been in | :31:54. | :32:00. | |
that position before, it is the worst position to finish in. Yes, | :32:00. | :32:08. | |
it was always come to be close, -- going to be close, it was tight, we | :32:09. | :32:17. | |
only had one lap, so it made it difficult. Not quite a day. -- | :32:17. | :32:23. | |
today. I get goose bumps, thinking about | :32:23. | :32:28. | |
it, because it was an awful race. Huge excitement to see him going | :32:28. | :32:38. | |
:32:38. | :32:40. | ||
into that, and to finish fourth, it was the worst thing ever. It took a | :32:40. | :32:50. | |
:32:50. | :32:55. | ||
But that was four years ago, and he is determined not to lose out on | :32:55. | :33:01. | |
the top spot this time around. In those three years since Beijing, he | :33:01. | :33:07. | |
has been a man with one finger on his mind. All of his energy and | :33:07. | :33:10. | |
determination has been focused on becoming the best in the world, | :33:10. | :33:14. | |
competing at one of the most demanding sports in the event, his | :33:14. | :33:18. | |
fitness levels are unsurpassed. Every action is designed to secure | :33:18. | :33:23. | |
the gold medal he did -- he believes he deserves. | :33:23. | :33:27. | |
I love windsurfing, there is nothing better than that, | :33:27. | :33:33. | |
especially when you are racing, you are all close, the adrenalin is | :33:33. | :33:38. | |
going, knowing you can wipe out at any time. Is it the speed you love? | :33:38. | :33:44. | |
Yes, you get used to it, but you still love it. One of the sailors | :33:44. | :33:50. | |
of it now, they all trained hard. - - all of the sailors. I think back | :33:50. | :33:57. | |
to Sydney, boy you fitter than you were then? I am so much fitter than | :33:57. | :34:04. | |
I was. I was 20. I was a windsurfer, it was their core support, and | :34:04. | :34:14. | |
:34:14. | :34:19. | ||
being a professional athlete was not called. -- cool. I loved it. I | :34:19. | :34:25. | |
still love it. But it is very different to what I do today. | :34:25. | :34:30. | |
Dinghy sailing did not have the St street-cred! When I was 12 and I | :34:30. | :34:36. | |
saw them out there, they were the nerds! You can tell your wife but! | :34:37. | :34:41. | |
I do! When he started handing out at the | :34:41. | :34:47. | |
beach, he could never have expected it would lead to a life dominated | :34:47. | :34:53. | |
by routine, commitment and focus. As the years go by, reality hits | :34:53. | :34:57. | |
home that, if you want to win, you have to be the best athlete, you | :34:57. | :35:01. | |
have to be professional, you have to do everything right. That is | :35:01. | :35:08. | |
where I have changed as a person. I am a professional athlete. I am | :35:08. | :35:18. | |
:35:18. | :35:21. | ||
It is halfway through his tested and, and he is in second place. -- | :35:21. | :35:31. | |
:35:31. | :35:31. | ||
his Test event. Watching him is his wife and his son. | :35:31. | :35:39. | |
Come on, Daddy! As a former Olympian, she is more | :35:39. | :35:43. | |
used to competing than watching it, and she was on target for London, | :35:43. | :35:51. | |
but she withdrew. It was a tough decision. There are | :35:51. | :35:56. | |
still times when I think, have I made the right decision? Especially | :35:56. | :36:00. | |
in this environment, where life has been about the Olympics, and that | :36:00. | :36:07. | |
is every four years, so to not be a part of that is tough. But I have | :36:07. | :36:14. | |
got my son Thomas to look after, and I watched the racing today, and | :36:14. | :36:20. | |
it is my job to support a Nick, to make sure he is well rested and | :36:20. | :36:25. | |
well-fed, and he can deliver his best performance. I need to be the | :36:25. | :36:27. | |
best wife as opposed to the best sailor. | :36:27. | :36:34. | |
While her decision is undoubtedly good for her husband, it was not | :36:34. | :36:40. | |
such good news for Saskia Clark, her partner. For her, it meant she | :36:40. | :36:45. | |
was suddenly left without a team mate. | :36:45. | :36:49. | |
Already, the campaign has been a roller-coaster. This, it was not | :36:49. | :36:56. | |
planned like that. I was teamed with Sarah Ayton, but she made the | :36:56. | :37:01. | |
call that she could not balance the pressures, and her family life was | :37:01. | :37:06. | |
more important, so I had a big decision, and I quickly made the | :37:06. | :37:16. | |
:37:16. | :37:20. | ||
call to give her a drink. -- her a wind. That was our biggest worry, | :37:20. | :37:25. | |
from my side, I always knew that we could be really good, it was just | :37:26. | :37:31. | |
how quickly it could come together. Luckily, it came together Justin | :37:31. | :37:34. | |
Time. The team that have only been | :37:34. | :37:38. | |
together for six months head into the final day of the Olympic test | :37:38. | :37:43. | |
event with a shot at the gold medal. This is where it will happen | :37:43. | :37:51. | |
tomorrow. We are tied with the Japanese, effectively. There will | :37:51. | :38:01. | |
:38:01. | :38:04. | ||
be a lot of nerves. She thrives on that! Are to be here now, a | :38:04. | :38:09. | |
guaranteed medal, we are desperate to make that a gold medal, but | :38:09. | :38:19. | |
:38:19. | :38:27. | ||
would be great. -- that would be winner-takes-all. -- Great Britain. | :38:27. | :38:34. | |
Saskia Clark bouncing on the trapeze. The Japanese boat has | :38:34. | :38:40. | |
slowed down. The British have definitely gained. Five or six | :38:41. | :38:50. | |
metres between the boats. Somebody squeezing between them. Can the | :38:50. | :39:00. | |
:39:00. | :39:00. | ||
British team overtake the Japanese? Big boat link between them. -- | :39:00. | :39:06. | |
length of a boat between them. This is the moment. Will they overtake? | :39:06. | :39:15. | |
200 metres left to the next mark. Japan get a surge of speed. Ai | :39:15. | :39:23. | |
Kondo and Wakako Tabata. The British team or through? Almost. | :39:23. | :39:31. | |
They are just ahead. Right now, Great Britain or in gold. Can the | :39:31. | :39:36. | |
Japanese team get an overlap? If they can, the British team would be | :39:36. | :39:46. | |
:39:46. | :39:47. | ||
in second. The Japanese will round up first. But no ground the mark | :39:47. | :39:54. | |
first. The pendulum has swung in favour of Japan. That is the gold | :39:54. | :40:02. | |
medal for Japan. That is 15 metres between gold and silver. Silver for | :40:02. | :40:06. | |
the British team, they will be disappointed, but that is still a | :40:06. | :40:11. | |
very impressive performance. The Japanese team celebrating their | :40:11. | :40:21. | |
:40:21. | :40:24. | ||
It was so close, nail-biting. Unit frustrated. Yes, pretty frustrated. | :40:24. | :40:31. | |
We really wanted to win. We thought we did a pretty good race, we were | :40:31. | :40:35. | |
always closing them down, but we did not get the last shift into the | :40:35. | :40:43. | |
mark. We had a bit too much to do. A bit gutted. Think way you were a | :40:43. | :40:48. | |
few months ago, silver medal here, you will be happy with that. When | :40:48. | :40:53. | |
it sinks in, we will be happy, but at the moment, we think we lost the | :40:53. | :41:00. | |
gold medal. But we will get some perspective, we have had a good | :41:00. | :41:07. | |
week, the conditions have been windy, I am sure we will be happy | :41:07. | :41:14. | |
in a few days, may be! The fastest of all of the Olympic | :41:14. | :41:24. | |
:41:24. | :41:26. | ||
Assailed by two people, if either one puts a foot wrong, they will be | :41:26. | :41:34. | |
swimming. In the Olympics, even the best in the world could not cope | :41:34. | :41:44. | |
:41:44. | :41:48. | ||
French team leading the race have capsized, and the Germans are going | :41:48. | :41:58. | |
:41:58. | :41:58. | ||
as well! France and Germany on One nation is stronger than any | :41:58. | :42:04. | |
other, Great Britain. Five teams are in the world top 10, but four | :42:04. | :42:14. | |
will miss out on competing in their home games. Wind the clock back a | :42:14. | :42:18. | |
month, and the battle for the one place at the test event took place. | :42:18. | :42:25. | |
In the fight was a team from Bevan, Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes. -- | :42:25. | :42:31. | |
from Devon. Amongst their competitors, a man who went to the | :42:31. | :42:35. | |
Olympics in 1992 and who has not been back since. The partnership | :42:35. | :42:45. | |
:42:45. | :42:49. | ||
Four weeks later, they arrive in Weymouth for the test event, with a | :42:49. | :42:51. | |
surprising new addition to their team. | :42:51. | :42:55. | |
A few weeks ago, Paul Brotherton was one of their greatest rivals, | :42:55. | :43:05. | |
but now, he is their right hand man. Back down. We will see a fall of | :43:05. | :43:12. | |
the hard work has paid off. -- all of the hard work. | :43:12. | :43:15. | |
It is hard to think that you were trying to get selection for the | :43:16. | :43:22. | |
test event for weeks ago. It is an odd sensation. I was as keen as | :43:22. | :43:28. | |
anybody to win the event, I put everything I could into what, but I | :43:28. | :43:34. | |
was also pretty happy to except -- to accept that we finished sixth. | :43:34. | :43:39. | |
That is a long way from first. The Olympic Games is all about coming | :43:39. | :43:49. | |
:43:49. | :43:51. | ||
I love it. I enjoy the coaching. I can't deny that my results are | :43:51. | :43:55. | |
better as a coach than as a competitor. What did he say when | :43:56. | :44:03. | |
you phoned him up? He said I'm out of work, could you fix me up with a | :44:03. | :44:11. | |
job! No, he said things had changed. It is special to have somebody | :44:11. | :44:17. | |
coaching us who was a top level performer. Back to full off again. | :44:17. | :44:21. | |
How good is their boat handling? think it is excellent. I have seen | :44:21. | :44:28. | |
that from both sides, from racing them and obviously watching them | :44:28. | :44:34. | |
since. But as the breeze increases, it gets to above 18 knots and they | :44:34. | :44:41. | |
calm it down and draw strength from seeing everyone else struggle. From | :44:41. | :44:45. | |
a coaching view that is great. They sail the poet well. The team may | :44:45. | :44:52. | |
have had a smart plan to turn a rival into a team member, but | :44:52. | :44:59. | |
needed a good result. Amongst these they were looking to beat was the | :44:59. | :45:05. | |
Australian double act. And there Australian double act. And there | :45:05. | :45:09. | |
was an encouraging start. COMMENTATOR: 15 races and that is a | :45:09. | :45:16. | |
great start no race No 6. Stevie Morrisson, Ben Rhodes from Britain, | :45:16. | :45:21. | |
they have spent a short amount of time with their new coach, Paul | :45:21. | :45:26. | |
Brotherton and they're starting well here. A familiar head-to-head | :45:26. | :45:32. | |
at the top mark. Australia against Great Britain and it is advantage | :45:32. | :45:38. | |
Great Britain. An aggressive turn there by Morrisson. Ben Rhodes goes | :45:38. | :45:43. | |
to put the sail up. When that is up, you will see a tweet on the helm | :45:43. | :45:49. | |
and watch this boat take off. The Australians now about 150 metres | :45:49. | :45:59. | |
:45:59. | :46:03. | ||
behind. The 470 is raced by both behind. The 470 is raced by both | :46:03. | :46:08. | |
men and women at the game. Two year ago, Britain's Nick Rogers had no | :46:08. | :46:14. | |
intention of being at the Test event. A veteran of three Olympics, | :46:14. | :46:18. | |
he knows about the agony of finishing fourth. That was in | :46:18. | :46:28. | |
:46:28. | :46:30. | ||
Sydney. Then in Athens, he won silver. And did it again in pay | :46:30. | :46:38. | |
jing. Then his medal winning crew retired and he followed soon after. | :46:38. | :46:46. | |
Until he changed his mind. He teamed up with Chris Grew, Twiggy, | :46:46. | :46:51. | |
but me needed a family loan to keep afloat. A totally different | :46:51. | :46:58. | |
pressure. I mean sleepless nights. Immense pressure. It is so | :46:58. | :47:02. | |
different to the racing. It has been really hard this year. Twiggy | :47:02. | :47:06. | |
and I have have worked and worked. They have had to, because world | :47:06. | :47:16. | |
class British teams were already battling for selection. On the | :47:16. | :47:21. | |
water we just nailed the job and -- know the job and that is | :47:21. | :47:27. | |
concentrate on the things that make the boat go faster. You must really | :47:27. | :47:32. | |
want this? Yeah. Yeah a lot. It is everything I have ever dreamed of | :47:32. | :47:37. | |
doing. And I don't want to just go. That is not goal. If we can qualify, | :47:37. | :47:41. | |
I believe that would buy us more time and make an enormous | :47:41. | :47:45. | |
difference. I believe with that time we can put a team together | :47:45. | :47:50. | |
which can win a gold. That is what you're trying to do. A month ago | :47:50. | :47:55. | |
and against the odds, head to beat Luke Patience and his partner to | :47:56. | :48:01. | |
win selection for the Test event. The man who came out of retirement | :48:01. | :48:06. | |
steered the pair home. Leaving stunned rivals in their wake. Pay | :48:06. | :48:13. | |
back for sleepless nights, the first return on the investment made. | :48:13. | :48:19. | |
In the last three years it has been up and down and I'm just over the | :48:19. | :48:24. | |
moon and the team and what we have achieved. It is a great step ford e | :48:24. | :48:30. | |
forward. We go to pr pre--- step forward to the future and we go to | :48:30. | :48:35. | |
pre-Olympics. Attest events they qualified for the final and were in | :48:35. | :48:41. | |
contention for a medal. contention for a medal. | :48:41. | :48:44. | |
COMMENTATOR: they could Britain bronze, but Israel and Japan could | :48:44. | :48:51. | |
stop them. The advantage is with Israel. It is no looking good for a | :48:52. | :48:57. | |
medal for Nick Rogers. In the final, their hopes faded. They finished | :48:57. | :49:02. | |
fourth. Their place at London 2012 may not be guaranteed, but they are | :49:02. | :49:07. | |
may not be guaranteed, but they are no longer on the outside looking | :49:07. | :49:14. | |
in.. We're disappointed. It was so close. We were welcome back a -- we | :49:14. | :49:20. | |
were within a grasp of a medal. It is not to do it as yourself, that | :49:20. | :49:25. | |
is pushing water uphill. We're on a short leash. We couldn't survive | :49:25. | :49:34. | |
another week. Not like that. team from Devon, Stevie Morrisson | :49:34. | :49:39. | |
and Ben Rhodes spent the week in the 49er just outside the top three. | :49:39. | :49:43. | |
They went into the final fighting for medal. Beat New Zealand and | :49:43. | :49:52. | |
bronze would be the prize. That would be a good start for their | :49:52. | :49:59. | |
life with new coach Paul Brother tob. -- Paul Brotherton. But | :49:59. | :50:05. | |
Australia won gold and the Kiwis beat the British into fourth. | :50:05. | :50:11. | |
Frustrated. It is an important event. We have learned a lot. We're | :50:11. | :50:15. | |
not far away, but we're not there. The skill's there, the talent's | :50:15. | :50:20. | |
there. But there is something missing at the moment. The | :50:20. | :50:23. | |
performance this week is not good enough and there is only one reason | :50:23. | :50:28. | |
I'm here and that is to win a gold. Fourth of fifth. I'm confident I | :50:28. | :50:34. | |
could do that myself. So far the British medal haul is one silver | :50:34. | :50:40. | |
and one bronze. The target the team set itself is four medals. So a bit | :50:40. | :50:50. | |
:50:50. | :51:12. | ||
to do and time to wheel out some Lacer medal race, Paul good sop, | :51:12. | :51:17. | |
fourth at the moment. -- goodson, fourth at the moment. -- goodson, | :51:17. | :51:20. | |
fourth at the moment. Got to sail himself and see what happens behind | :51:20. | :51:28. | |
him to Holland, New Zealand and Australia. He can't do more than | :51:28. | :51:33. | |
that. Paul Goodison around the first mark leading. Holland behind | :51:33. | :51:39. | |
and then Australia. Goodison heading for the finish. It is | :51:39. | :51:48. | |
cumulative points. If he wins this, that will give him bronze. Goodison | :51:48. | :51:53. | |
wince bronze, but it is another wince bronze, but it is another | :51:53. | :51:58. | |
gold for Australia. In the star class, the British needed to beat | :51:58. | :52:02. | |
Ireland and Poland in the final race. Someone was looking down on | :52:02. | :52:12. | |
:52:12. | :52:12. | ||
them. COMMENTATOR: Surely silver for the British. So four medals for | :52:12. | :52:19. | |
Britain. Target reached. But no golds. Not yet. Nick Dempsey was on | :52:19. | :52:23. | |
the right road. After disappointment of fourth in Beijing, | :52:23. | :52:28. | |
winning gold in 2012 in the place where he lives is the driving force | :52:28. | :52:38. | |
:52:38. | :52:43. | ||
of every single day. COMMENTATOR: Top top there will be celebrations | :52:43. | :52:49. | |
if Dempsey can beat the Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge. The plan | :52:49. | :52:54. | |
is to sail his Dutch rival to the back of the fleet and then for | :52:54. | :52:58. | |
back of the fleet and then for Britain's No 1 to go on a charge. | :52:58. | :53:04. | |
At the moment it is working. Dempsey is launched. The dumpman is | :53:04. | :53:09. | |
right at the back and it is gold at the moment for Britain. Oh demp | :53:09. | :53:14. | |
circumstances he is turning around. He won't like what he says, because | :53:14. | :53:24. | |
:53:24. | :53:29. | ||
his Dutch rival, I'm counting up the places has overtaken Greece, he | :53:29. | :53:39. | |
:53:39. | :54:10. | ||
It will be tight next year and it is a case of moving on and making | :54:10. | :54:16. | |
sure I'm 100%. Five medals won for Britain. Still no gold. Enter a man | :54:16. | :54:26. | |
who has made an impression in the Olympic world. Ben Ainslie. He has | :54:26. | :54:32. | |
achieved everything there is to achieve many times over. And in the | :54:32. | :54:37. | |
nature of sailing you can only compete in one event. Ben deserves | :54:37. | :54:44. | |
every honour there is to give him already. Without competing at | :54:44. | :54:54. | |
:54:54. | :54:56. | ||
London. To me, he is the ultimate sportsman. COMMENTATOR: Ben Ainslie | :54:56. | :55:00. | |
has a huge points advantage as the has a huge points advantage as the | :55:00. | :55:06. | |
gun goes. All he has to do is complete this race and he is | :55:06. | :55:12. | |
guaranteed gold. The only British gold in the British test event. A | :55:12. | :55:17. | |
year ago he came back to the finn after a two year absence, by his | :55:17. | :55:20. | |
own admission off the Olympic pace. But that has changed. He qualified | :55:21. | :55:25. | |
for is in and against international competition the best in the world, | :55:25. | :55:32. | |
he is about to overtake the best in the world. Well there is the | :55:32. | :55:37. | |
example. Ainslie is simply in a different league. British | :55:37. | :55:42. | |
supporters have had to wait until the final moments of the final race | :55:42. | :55:47. | |
here at the test event, but this is here at the test event, but this is | :55:47. | :55:51. | |
it. Gold for Ben Ainslie. looked relieved when it was all | :55:51. | :55:55. | |
over. It has been been one big summer? Yes it has been a big | :55:55. | :56:04. | |
summer A lot at stake. But that was hard work and so I was happy to get | :56:04. | :56:08. | |
across the line and have a breather. Talking about selection, what do | :56:08. | :56:13. | |
you think now? Well I don't know, it is up to the selection committee. | :56:13. | :56:18. | |
It is their decision. I guess I ticked all the boxes, so they will | :56:18. | :56:22. | |
have to think up some good reasons not to send me to the Olympics. But | :56:22. | :56:32. | |
:56:32. | :56:33. | ||
I will have to think what they might be. He delivered gold in | :56:33. | :56:39. | |
style and again Britain's greatest Olympic sailor is the star of the | :56:39. | :56:47. | |
show. So the dry run for the Olympics is complete. 460 sailors | :56:47. | :56:55. | |
from 66 nations have put the venue through its paces. We have seen the | :56:55. | :56:59. | |
16 person British sailing team compete for all ten Gold Medals | :56:59. | :57:09. | |
:57:09. | :57:09. | ||
here. An impressive medal haul but not the colours you were hoping for. | :57:09. | :57:14. | |
We have medals in six events. We have some work to do. But it is a | :57:14. | :57:19. | |
great position to be in with eleven months to go. There has been much | :57:19. | :57:26. | |
to celebrate and whet the appetite for the supporters. And once again | :57:26. | :57:33. | |
British sailor s who failed to make the medals are in the minority. | :57:33. | :57:37. | |
Disappointing week really. Always a bit difficult going to ceremony, | :57:37. | :57:41. | |
seeing your opponents up there. We think we have the capability of | :57:41. | :57:46. | |
winning gold in a year's time. But we know there is a lot of hard work | :57:46. | :57:53. | |
to come before then. The team manager is right, it is harder than | :57:53. | :57:57. | |
ever. Britain won the most medals hoor but Holland and Australia won | :57:57. | :58:01. | |
more -- here but Holland and Australia won more golds. But I | :58:01. | :58:09. | |
believe here in 12 months we will be one of British medal hotspots of | :58:09. | :58:19. | |
2012. Tune in tomorrow as we look at how the preparations have been | :58:19. | :58:23. | |
going at some of the other test events taking place in London. We | :58:23. | :58:30. |