BRITISH Sailing today finalised its team for next month’s Olympic Test Event, with newly-crowned Laser world champion Nick Thompson and RS:X European champion Bryony Shaw completing the line-up.

The Aquece Rio International Regatta (August 15-22) will see 15 British sailors compete against their international rivals across 10 Olympic classes in what is the organisers’ final official dress rehearsal at the 2016 venue.

“To have won the European Championships in Mondello, Sicily, is a huge milestone on my road to Rio,” explained Weymouth’s 2008 Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Shaw.

“Going into the medal race, the points of the top four were super close, so I was delighted to be able to perform under that much pressure and win.

“As soon as I crossed the finish line the celebrations began as the week had been long and tiring, with everyone having to deal with the drawn out postponements and hot temperatures.”

Shaw, aiming to qualify for her third Olympic Games, knows how important the test event can be in gaining experience of the unique Olympic environment.

“It is a huge honour to be selected and I look forward to being part of the elite, smaller-sized Olympic team where our resources and attention can be focussed on what it will take to win in this extremely tricky and varied sailing venue,” she added.

Thompson, who claimed an emphatic Laser World Championship victory last week in Kingston, Canada, said the test event is a key opportunity to not only perform at the Olympic venue, but to practice the build-up and routines you might expect around the Games itself.

“As a team, I think we’re doing a great job of really trying to treat this as an Olympics,” he said.

“We’ll be spending a similar amount of time out there with a similar build up to it as if it were the Games.

“Obviously I haven’t been selected for the Games itself yet, but I think it’s a good idea to do a practice run as if it were the case.

“With the worlds that’s been tricky as it’s been quite close to this test event, but from now on it’s going to be all about focussing on that and trying to get fired up for the event as if it’s the Games.”

British Sailing Team at the Aquece Rio International Regatta

Finn – Giles Scott, RS:X Men – Nick Dempsey, RS:X Women – Bryony Shaw, 470 Men – Luke Patience and Elliot Willis, 470 Women – Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, 49er – John Pink and Stuart Bithell, 49erFX – Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth, Nacra 17 – John Gimson and Hannah Diamond, Laser Radial – Alison Young, Laser – Nick Thompson.