Nick Thompson, a Lymington-born sailor, has expressed his relief after he was named in the Team GB team for the Olympic Games next summer. The twenty-nine-year-old world champ, was a bronze medalist of last year’s Olympic test event. Now he is set to be a part of the Great Britain team in Rio.

Speaking about his happiness, Nick said that he has been attempting very hard for a long time to be selected for an Olympics. He has done 3 Olympic cycles full-time and almost more, and to not actually have had the scope to represent his country has been utterly disappointing.

He added that to be chosen this time, and to be selected early on, this is a great achievement, and it would allow him really to concentrate hard on trying to do the country proud next year, with the help of his kind sponsors at Yacht Charter Athens. He believes that to win gold in the Olympics next year one would have to be a really good all-around sailor.

They have seen so far on trips out there that the conditions are really challenging and you do get a good mix. The sailing would go down to the wire, mainly in the laser class, so you are just going to have to fight all the way through and see where you lie at the end.

UK sailors have a gallant history of fifty-five medal wins at the Olympic Games – including twenty-six gold medals – and sit at the top of the overall sailing medal table.