Thankfully for British fans, and for those who believe Ainslie to be the greatest Olympic sailor of all time, an old friend of his, New Zealand’s
Dan Slater, was able to edge back ahead of the Dane approaching the final mark.
In desperation, Postma went for a gap which was not there, incurring a penalty turn and sacrificing silver in the process. “I’m sorry for Postma but he took a really big risk,” Slater said. “I said to him before he did it, 'Don’t do it, I will protect the inside’. But he did it anyway.” And that was that. Ainslie was able to turn for home in ninth place, ahead of Hogh-
Christensen, and sail the final reach to the line safe in the knowledge that victory was his.
Clenching his fist, he crouched down in his boat and pumped his arms furiously in celebration. “I’m just relieved I got through,” he later admitted. “I have never sailed in such a nerve-wracking race in my life.”
No wonder he went over to the spectators to celebrate with them, holding the Union flag aloft, letting off flares, acknowledging the support they have given him over the last 16 years, ever since he burst on to the scene with that silver medal in Atlanta.
No wonder he looked so moved at the victory ceremony as the Princess Royal placed the gold medal around his neck, and they applauded him again. “We have never experienced a crowd like that at an Olympics and it definitely made a difference,” Ainslie explained.
The relief, the elation were tangible. Rarely has a sportsman been placed under pressure as severe as that which was heaped on Ainslie, a huge odds-on favourite pre-regatta. Only when Hogh-Christensen beat him in the first six races, establishing a 10-point lead, was the possibility that he might not win entertained. The bookies let his odds slip out to 6-1 against. More fool them.
Using all of his famous fighting spirit, all of his nous and experience, Ainslie hauled himself back into contention, the defining moment of the week undoubtedly coming on Thursday when a furious Ainslie accused Hogh-Christensen and Postma of “ganging up” to earn him a penalty by claiming he hit a mark. “They’ve made me angry and they did not want to make me angry,” he said in what was the defining line of this regatta.
From then on it was the Ainslie of old, the ruthless sailor with the temper so ferocious it saw him board a media boat in Perth last year and remonstrate with its crew after they had got too close to his boat.
The great Dane, for his part, was understandably deflated. He had played his part in a riveting narrative all week, entertaining the press, admitting how much it would mean to him to prevent Ainslie usurping his compatriot Paul Elvstrom as the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time.
To his credit, he was dignity personified at the end. “I said before we started Ben is the best of modern times,” Hogh-Christensen said. “But I was able to give him a run for his money. He won by the smallest margin possible.” But he won. That is all that history will record.
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