- Date of Birth:
- 05 May 1986 (23)
- Sport:
- Sailing (Laser)
- Home Town:
- Lymington
- Current Address:
- Lymington
- Club:
- Royal Lymington YC
Nick Thompson is one of Britain’s greatest hopes of winning Gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Nick took to the water at the tender age of 2 on his parents’ homebuilt yacht. Instantly hooked he started dinghy racing at his local pond the Salterns Sailing Club. At 10 years old, Nick bought an Optimist off Olympic 470 sailor Nick Rogers and he quickly got the bug for competition.
In his Oppy, Nick competed in three European, World and National Championships. In 1999 he won the European Championships in Athens, the first Britain ever to do so. As a result was chosen as the Young Sailor of the Year, the same year as Ben Ainslie was Sailor of the Year!
In 2002, his second year in the Laser Radial class, he won the Youth European Championships, and in 2004 progressed in to the Olympic Laser.
In only his second year he won a Gold medal at the Youth World Championships and began to break in to the senior Laser fleet with very convincing results including a 5th place finish at the Laser Olympic trials. This year was undoubtedly a golden year for Nick as he was selected as Young Sailor of the Year for a second time, along with BBC South Sports Personality of the Year.
Having graduated from Exeter University in 2007, Nick has been able to dedicate his time to his Olympic Campaign and over the last few years has continued to impress having won a National Championship, and a Bronze at the European Championships.
2009 was another golden year in which Nick became the ISAF World Cup winner and Bronze medalist at the World Championships, at just 23 years old. In the first event of the 2010 season, the Miami OCR, Nick stormed to victory to win by an impressive 50 point margin. Currently ranked 3rd in the World, Nick has great attitude and discipline and is not only on the right track for selection to the London 2012 Olympic Games but also to become one of Britain’s greatest sailors.
Achievements:
2010 1st - Rolex Miami OCR, Miami
2009 1st - ISAF World Cup
2009 3rd - Laser World Championships, Halifax, Canada 2009 5th - Kieler Woche, Kiel
2009 6th - Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik
2009 6th - Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres
2009 1st - Princess Sofia Trophy, Palma de Majorca
2009 1st - Laser Midwinters East, Clearwater
2009 1st - Rolex Miami OCR, Miami
2009 1st - Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta, Cabarete 2008 1st - Skandia Sail For Gold Regatta, Weymouth
2008 5th - European Laser Standard & Laser Radial Championship, Nieuwpoort
2008 5th - Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres
2008 2nd - Princess Sofia Trophy, Palma de Majorca
2008 8th - Laser World Championship, Terrigal
2008 17th - Sail Melbourne International Regatta Olympic & Invited Classes
2007 3rd - Laser Australian Championship, Victoria
2007 1st - Skandia Sail For Gold Regatta, Weymouth
