Ben Ainslie announces Olympic retirement (From Dorset Echo)

Ben Ainslie announces Olympic retirement

9:26am Tuesday 27th November 2012 in News

FOUR-TIME Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie has announced he will not compete at Rio 2016.
Ainslie, who has been nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year award, has called time on his Olympic career to focus on his America’s Cup campaign.
He said: “It fills me with both relief and sadness to write these words but I can now officially confirm that I have donned my Team GB tracksuit for the last time.”
Ainslie won the Finn class at the Olympic sailing events in Weymouth during the summer- his fourth gold medal in his fifth Games.
He added: ''No more Olympic villages. No more opening or closing ceremonies.
“After almost 20 years entirely dedicated to the pursuit of gold, taking in five Olympic campaigns, I have decided I will not attempt a sixth at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.''