Cheltenham Festival – win VIP tickets

Posted on February 18, 2013 by adminsports

WIN VIP tickets to the Cheltenham Festival, including meal and drinks – courtesy of lovetheraces.com

UPDATED:

17:21 GMT, 18 February 2013

Sportsmail has teamed up with lovetheraces.com to offer you a sensational VIP trip to the Cheltenham Festival.

A day at the races offers something for everyone, from the glitz and glamour of the special day to the fun of a flutter and the thrill of a big winner.

And there’s no bigger racing event in the calendar than the world famous Cheltenham Festival next month featuring the Gold Cup.

Cheltenham

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to arrive by 3pm on Friday, February 22.

PLEASE NOTE: You must validate your entry with the words CHELTENHAM COMP in your subject box; tickets do not include travel to/from the Cheltenham Festival or accommodation; normal Associated Newspapers terms and conditions apply – the Editor's decision is final.

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Lewis Hamilton targets fun finish at McLaren

Posted on October 31, 2012 by adminsports

Hamilton targets 'fun' finish at McLaren as Brit nears Mercedes move

UPDATED:

13:52 GMT, 31 October 2012

Lewis Hamilton is determined to have some fun at the end of his days with McLaren before tackling what he believes will be a tough debut campaign with Mercedes.

Hamilton's slender hopes of winning this year's Formula One drivers' title ended in India on Sunday with a fourth-placed finish behind a dominant Sebastian Vettel, who has now won four consecutive races.

Trailing Vettel by 75 points with 75 remaining, only the mother of all miracles can help Hamilton, but he knows there is no point in clinging on to small mercies.

All smiles: Hamilton has just three races left for McLaren

Instead, Hamilton is eager to simply enjoy himself over the closing three races, starting in Abu Dhabi where he triumphed last year and finished second the season before.

'I said even before India the championship was out of the question, so now it's about trying to have the most fun and having as strong a race as possible,' Hamilton said.

'Even though Sunday's result in India doesn't really show it, I felt it was one of my strongest races this year. I was really happy with it.'

Beyond this season, once Hamilton switches to Mercedes after signing a three-year deal, he appreciates some hard times potentially lie in wait.

'It's going to be tough next season because the current car they (Mercedes) have is not as great as the one I have now,' said the 27-year-old.

Jumping ship: Hamilton moves to Mercedes at the end of the season

'But with a lot of hard work, perhaps a new direction, maybe we can change it around.'

Hamilton also feels there is little he can do at present to try and influence his situation at Mercedes, bearing in mind he will not be in a position to join them until the start of 2013.

'All I can take is my skill and my knowledge of racing,' added Hamilton.

'I don't get there until really late, so any input I can have won't affect us until later.

'For now my focus is on this car and trying to help these guys, although I realise we're quite far behind in the constructors' (championship).

'So let's push for second. That's what we have to target. Let's beat the Ferraris.'

Two good: Hamilton is targeting second place

McLaren trail Red Bull in the constructors' standings by 101 points – with 129 available – whilst they are 10 adrift of Ferrari.

The fact Red Bull can become only the fourth team in F1 history to win three successive constructors' crowns in Abu Dhabi on Sunday is testimony to their engineering skills, especially design guru Adrian Newey, and Vettel's craft behind the wheel.

Hamilton can only admire what Red Bull have achieved these past three years as he said: 'It's no surprise Sebastian is dominating because the Red Bull has been dominant for the last few years.

'They seem to have great capacity to improve the car and Adrian is just a genius, phenomenal.

'I can't even imagine what he's doing. He and his team have structured the car so well.

'I saw the race trace for India, and Sebastian's speed in the first stint, and there was no way we could compete with that, even if I'd driven 200 per cent.'

Indian Grand Prix 2012: Live F1 coverage

Posted on October 28, 2012 by adminsports

Live Indian Grand Prix: Follow all the F1 drama from the Buddh International Circuit

UPDATED:

09:56 GMT, 28 October 2012

The Formula One circus parks up in New Delhi this weekend for the Indian Grand Prix. With only four races of this epic season remaining, two-time champion Sebastian Vettel arrives in India as the man in form, having won the last three races. The 25-year-old German leads his nearest rival in Fernando Alonso by a mere six points, but can the Ferrari star prevent Vettel from clinching a third title on the bounce

Follow all the action from today's Indian Grand Prix, and send your thoughts on the action to: phil.duncan@dailymail.co.uk or contact me on Twitter @PhilDuncanF1

Click here to follow our dedicated Formula One service on Twitter Live Indian Grand Prix: Lap 13/60
Sebastian Vettel leads from Mark Webber
Fernando Alonso is thirdLewis Hamilton is fourth with team-mate Jenson Button in fifthMichael Schumacher suffers first-lap puncture

Lap 14: Fastest lap of the race from Webber who is now matching his Red Bull team-mate, but it's too little too late for the Aussie. Vettel is almost four seconds of Webber. Hulkenberg makes his way past Perez for eighth before the Sauber man pits.

Lap 13: Hamilton vowed to 'give everything' on the grid but the British star is almost five seconds adrift of Alonso in third. 'Everything' isn't good enough at the moment is it

Lap 12: Nico Hulkenberg is all over the back of Sergio Perez in the battle for eighth. According to reports the German could replace the McLaren-bound Perez at Sauber next season…

Lap 11: Fastest laps from Vettel with the German opening up a three-second lead over Webber. The reigning world champion is looking oh-so comfortable here.

Leading the way: Vettel is cruising to victory at the Buddh International Circuit

Lap 10: This isn't how Schumacher planned his retirement is it The veteran is now being lapped by the race leaders after his unscheduled pit stop.

Lap 9: McLaren don't have the pace here with Hamilton failing to make an impression on Alonso and Button holding up Massa and Raikkonen. Up front and Vettel leads Webber by 2.8 seconds. That's 155 consecutive laps led by Vettel now.

Lap 8: We're finally seen a replay of Schumacher's puncture and it appears the seven-time champion ran over the front wing of Jean-Eric Vergne at Turn 1.

Lap 7: Vettel now leads team-mate Webber by over two seconds with Alonso some six seconds adrift and Hamilton almost 10 seconds behind the two-time world champion.

Lap 6: Hamilton emulates Alonso to make his way past Button with the use of DRS on the back straight. The 2008 world champion is back up to fourth but some distance adrift of Alonso. Meanwhile, Button appears to be holding up Massa in sixth and the Lotus of Raikkonen.

Lap 5: We've just seen a replay of the opening lap and the incredible fight between Alonso, Hamilton and Button. Great, fair driving from all three drivers to ensure there wasn't an accident. Some of the less experienced drivers on the grid should take note.

Off the line: Vettel keeps the rest of the field at bay to maintain the lead of the Indian Grand Prix

Lap 4: Incredible top speed from Alonso here as the Ferrari driver gets another incredible tow off the back of Button's McLaren to leapfrog the British driver and make his way up into third. Not the start McLaren were looking for, here.

Lap 3: You've got to say this is looking very, very handy for the Red Bulls and in particular championship leader Vettel.

Lap 2: Button is already four seconds behind race leader Vettel with the two Red Bulls romping off into the distance. Vettel leads from Webber, Button, Alonso, Hamilton and Massa as Schumacher limps back to the pits.

Lap 1: So, the Red Bulls lead at the end of lap one and it's Vettel from Webber, but what an incredible tussle behind. Hamilton ends up losing two places as Alonso takes an incredible slipstream to initially make his way past both McLarens before Button fights back to claim third. There's more misery for Michael Schumacher who picks up a right-rear puncture. I'll find out how that one happened for you.

9.30am: So, the tyre blankets are off and the cars lowered as the field make their way on to the parade lap. We're just moments away from the start of the Indian Grand Prix. Hold on to your hats/helmets. Hamilton reports of 'poor radio quality'. We'll keep tabs on that one.

9.25am: Right, we've got just five minutes to go until lights out in India, so what better time then to give you a run down on the top ten. Vettel starts from pole for the 35th time in his career ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Perez, Maldonado and Rosberg. The first lap is going to be crucial here. If the Red Bulls lead after the opening tour we, and the rest of the field, could be in for a long Sunday…

9.16am: Before I go on, we must wish a very happy birthday to grand prix supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Bernie is 82 today, and shows no signs of slowing down. The F1 chief claimed earlier today that the French Grand Prix could return to the calendar next season in place of the New Jersey race which has been scrapped from the schedule for 2013.

Happy birthday to Lew: Hamilton sends his best wishes to Ecclestone

9.15am: Down to the grid, and Hamilton gives an incredibly rare pre-race interview to British television. 'It is going to be real tough but I am going to give it a good shot,' says a buoyant Hamilton. 'I hope we don't have any problems with the car and we can give the fans a good shot. I am going to give everything.'

9.11am: Niki Lauda claims Alonso has 'big problems', and the former world champion is probably right. The Spaniard has seen the 25-year-old eat into his lead over the course of the last few races before being leapfrogged at the Korean Grand Prix. On to the grid, and its a late arrival for both McLaren drivers, with Hamilton parking up at his grid slot with only 19 minutes until the green lights go out.

8.55am: The German's biggest threat comes from team-mate Webber, who insisted earlier this week that he isn't ready or willing to help Vettel clinch this year's title. The McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button occupy the second role, with Alonso in P5 and Felipe Massa sixth.

8.50am: Good morning everyone, and welcome to Sportsmail's coverage of the Indian Grand Prix.

So, the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber secured a second front-row lockout for the third consecutive race on Saturday, but will Vettel secure his fourth consecutive win The two-time world champion, who is six points ahead of Fernando Alonso in the title race, has led the last 145 laps, and he starts as a clear favourite to win again today.

On track: Schumacher and Vettel make their way to the drivers' parade

Centre of attention: The Buddh International Circuit is hosting its second grand prix

Can the truce between Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button survive for five races?

Posted on October 13, 2012 by adminsports

Can the fragile truce between Hamilton and Button at McLaren survive for five races

UPDATED:

19:20 GMT, 12 October 2012

Having overcome the first threat to
team harmony since Lewis Hamilton announced he was joining Mercedes, a
fragile truce has been established at McLaren.

Jenson Button was exasperated by his team-mate’s ‘disrespect’ Twitter gaffe after last week’s Japanese
Grand Prix but with five races left before Hamilton leaves, there is
plenty of time for further problems to arise between the pair.

Determined: Jenson Button (left) wants to help McLaren win the constructors title

Their relationship has been in decline since Hamilton pulled a bold move on his team-mate in China last year, leaving Button with no option but to move aside or collide. He chose the former.

Four races later, on a wet track in Canada, Button closed the door on Hamilton as he tried to repeat the move, dumping him into the pit wall and out of the race.

Button won in Montreal against all the odds, proving he wasn’t prepared to be elbowed out of the way by Hamilton, on the track or off it.

Vrroom: Button says the constructors title is his big aim

Having spent two years at Williams with
David Coulthard as a team-mate, Damon Hill knows all about the pressure
that comes with an all-British line-up in a British team, and admires
the way Button and Hamilton have held it together.

‘The idea that you are in the same team is a nice one and teams try to
give the impression their drivers are working together,’ said Hill. ‘But
your most significant rival is your team-mate, always.

‘Drivers have become more sophisticated in understanding PR. At
Williams, Nelson Piquet didn’t exactly love Nigel Mansell! In some ways
it was more honest but it also got quite ugly.

‘Drivers are better these days but you cannot pretend it is all sweetness and light between them.

‘There will always be tension. But as team-mates go, Lewis and Jenson
have behaved brilliantly. They have had mutual respect for each other.’

Chance: Lewis Hamilton (left) could still win the title

Time will tell whether that respect lasts until the end of the season.

There are not many genuine friendships within Formula One, although
Button and Force India driver Paul di Resta are an exception.

‘It is hard when you are competing,’ said Hill. ‘They avoid each other
because it makes life simpler. But there is camaraderie and a sense you
share something in common with the people that you race with.’

As they prepare for tomorrow’s South Korean Grand Prix, however, whether
Button has much left to say to Hamilton is another matter.

l Watch live coverage of the Korean Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1HD.

Raring to go: Hamilton practicing for the Korean Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso warns Ferrari: I can"t win title if our car stays this slow

Posted on September 25, 2012 by adminsports

Alonso warns Ferrari: Our car is too slow to win the title ahead of Vettel and Hamilton

UPDATED:

13:38 GMT, 25 September 2012

Fernando Alonso has told his Ferrari team they must step up their efforts if he is to win the drivers' title this year.

Alonso finished a creditable third in the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend, and could have been forgiven a grin within his helmet when he saw nearest championship challenger Lewis Hamilton retire early with a malfunctioning gearbox in his McLaren.

But the Spaniard has gone four races without taking the chequered flag, and with Red Bull's Vettel winning the Marina Bay night race, another formidable challenger replaced Hamilton in second place in the standings.

Concern: Fernando Alonso (right) is worried about the pace of his Ferrari

Third time's a charm: Alonso is hoping to win his first world title with Ferrari

'In the end it went well but we definitely can't go on like this,' Alonso said.
'It can't always be the case that my closest rival retires, as has happened in the last two races, and we can't think of carrying on to the end of the season with qualifying sessions like (Saturday) when our performance was almost a second off the best.'

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed that improvement was necessary, particularly given the nature of the tracks in the remaining six races, with South Korea and Abu Dhabi requiring similar car set-ups.

'Clearly we need to make a step forward in terms of performance, because we cannot rely purely on the misfortune of others,' Domenicali said. 'Having said that, we mustn't over-react as it's better to bring a few updates that work rather than bringing too many. This is the area where we need to improve and it will be one of our priorities in the coming days.'

For Vettel, the Singapore win provided renewed hope of becoming just the third man – after Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher – to win three straight drivers' championships.

It was only his second win of the season, but with the remaining circuits tailored toward a more nimble car, and not requiring the outright speed the Red Bull lacks, the German now looms as Alonso's chief rival.

Looking dangerous: Sebastian Vettel won the Singapore Grand Prix

Title hopes: Lewis Hamilton stuttered in Singapore but is not out of the race

'It's looking better than before,' Vettel said. 'We have a lot of races left, the car seems to be competitive and we just have to use the momentum and keep pushing for these last races and see what happens.'

Hamilton's season is continuing on its feast-or-famine pattern, with his past five races yielding two wins and three non-finishes. The Briton was not distracted by ongoing rumors about the possibility of him leaving McLaren for Mercedes, and showed that by setting pole position and comfortably leading the race until the gearbox failed on lap 23 of 59.

That non-finish meant Kimi Raikkonen retained his third place in the standings, despite the Lotus driver not having won a race this season. No man has ever managed to take the title without winning a race, but if he keeps totting up the points while those above him fail, the Finn can keep his chances alive.

McLaren's Jenson Button kept a pulse in his faint title hopes by taking second place in Singapore, while Red Bull's Mark Webber is above Button in the standings but had another disappointing weekend, crossing the line in 10th and then being dropped out of the points to 11th as a penalty for an overtaking move off the limits of the track.

The next race is at Suzuka in Japan on October 7.

Mark Webber warning for Romain Grosjean

Posted on September 23, 2012 by adminsports

Webber warning for Grosjean on eve of Singapore Grand Prix

UPDATED:

18:42 GMT, 22 September 2012

Red Bull's Mark Webber says Romain Grosjean should be prepared to run for the hills should he spark another first-lap incident on Sunday.

Webber and Grosjean will line up in seventh and eighth for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix as the Lotus driver returns to action after a one-race ban.

Getting the hump: Mark Webber

Grosjean was suspended from the last
grand prix in Italy after sparking a first-corner pile-up in Belgium
that took himself and three other drivers out of the race.

That was just the latest in a string
of incidents involving the Frenchman this season, and when asked if he
was comfortable sharing the same row as Grosjean, Webber said with a
smile: 'Yeah, he's okay. He knows I've a good right hook on me so he
will stay away from me.

'But he better put his sneakers on if he hits me.'

Although under investigation by the
stewards on two fronts following qualifying, Webber escaped with nothing
more than a reprimand.

Marussia's
Timo Glock complained he was blocked by the Australian in the first
session, but the stewards took no action, while in Q3 Webber twice left
the circuit on his in-lap for which he could offer no justifiable
reason, earning him a rap over the knuckles.

Reprimanded: Webber received a rap over the knuckles

With his title hopes fading after a
poor run during which he has scored just 16 points from the last four
races, Webber can only hope for the best on Sunday.

'It was a tough hour (of qualifying) to be honest,' said Webber.

'We're scratching our heads because it's not like we didn't get the maximum out of the car.

'Ultimately we're disappointed with
the result. Sometimes you don't like the medicine but you have to drink
it. That's the way it is.

'But it's a long GP, plenty of strategy involved and anything can happen.'

Gabriel Rasch signs for Team Sky

Posted on September 21, 2012 by adminsports

Team Sky swoop to sign Norwegian Classic specialist Rasch from FDJ-BigMat

UPDATED:

10:23 GMT, 21 September 2012

Team Sky have announced Gabriel Rasch as their first signing for the 2013 season.

The 36-year-old Norwegian, a Classics specialist who also has five Grand Tour appearances to his name, joins after one season at FDJ-BigMat.

New deal: Gabriel Rasch has signed for Team Sky

Rasch said: 'Team Sky were the number one team I wanted to join and I'm really happy to have signed. Next season I hope I can get into the Classics team because I have a lot of experience with that type of riding, and I'll be happy to work as a domestique during the stage races as well.'

Team Sky race coach Rod Ellingworth said: 'It's great to have Gabriel on board. Not only will he be a huge asset to us in the Classics, his attitude and experience will be of massive benefit to the team.'

Fernando Alonso is focused on stopping Lewis Hamilton

Posted on September 20, 2012 by adminsports

Hamilton's building so Alonso knows it won't be child's play to block him from glory

UPDATED:

16:37 GMT, 20 September 2012

Fernando Alonso is turning his attention to Lewis Hamilton at the Singapore Grand Prix as he looks to hold on to his Formula One title lead.

Hamilton has won two of the last three races to fire himself in to contention for the championship, although he remains 37 points behind the Spaniard with seven races left.

Building a title win: Fernando Alonso sitting in a lego replica of his car

Jensen Button, Hamilton's McLaren
partner is currently sixth in the standings and although he is unlikely
to get back in contention for the overall win it shows that McLaren's
vehicles are currently top dogs.

'McLaren are favourites to win this week so we need to stop their domination. Hopefully, we have brought some new parts to the car since Monza and it means we can do well here and at the races after that,' said Alonso, the Ferrari star.

'Everybody is strong at the moment and everybody is a contender. There are still five or six drivers that can fight for the title.

Aiming high: Alonso with team-mate Felipe Massa (left)

'Sure, Lewis is a strong driver and someone I respect as we know how good he can drive with a good car or a bad car and he is second in the standings.

'But it is hard to focus on five drivers at once, with the strategies and the stops, so it is best to be aware of the closest one and at the moment that is Lewis.'

Inspection: The pair check out the replica

Alonso has always found the Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit welcoming – he has picked up two wins out of four races on the track.

He admitted: 'I have been lucky with the cars here, (they) have always been competitive apart from in 2009 when I didn’t make the podium.

'It is a challenging track and there is no room for error and, like Monaco, you need to know your limits. On a normal track, if you touch the grass you lose the lap. Here, if you touch the wall then you lose the session.

Tricky: Alonso says the Singapore circuit is challenging

'So it’s quite challenging… not only physically, nearly two hours of racing and the humidity makes it a mental test too. The stress of not making a single mistake over the whole weekend means it is a difficult race.

'We were competitive in Monaco and Canada – which is a sort of street circuit – so we hope to do similarly well here. So Saturday (qualifying) is a very important day for us.'

Usain Bolt hits back at critics after winning London 2012 Olympic 100m title

Posted on August 6, 2012 by adminsports

Bolt bravado as he claims second 100m crown but hits out at petty rules

UPDATED:

00:24 GMT, 6 August 2012

Usain Bolt fired back at the critics who questioned him after sweeping aside the field to break his own Olympic record in the 100 metres final.

Despite being the fifth fastest out of the blocks and having the distraction of a bottle being thrown on to the track just moments before the race started, the Jamaican superstar strode away to produce a time of 9.63 seconds, beating the Games record he set in Beijing four years ago by 0.06sec.

Bolt, whose fitness at London 2012 had been in doubt after hamstring and back injuries, said afterwards: ‘I’m not concerned. I’ve said it from the start, people can talk, all they can do is talk.

Lightening strikes twice: Usain Bolt wins the 100m gold for the second time

‘I tell you people that when it comes to the championships it’s all about business to me and I brought it.’

The 25-year-old finished ahead of fellow countryman Yohan Blake — who took silver with a personal best of 9.75sec — and will now go for an unprecedented double in the 200m, aiming to become the first Olympian to retain his titles in both sprint races.

‘It means one step closer to being a legend,’ said Bolt. ‘That’s just one step — I have the 200m to go. I’m never going to say I’m the greatest until after the 200m. I’ve told YB (Blake) that the 200m will be different. I’ve told him already. That’s my pet event — I’m not going to let him beat me.

‘The trials gave me a wake-up call. Yohan knocked on my door and said, “Usain, this is Olympic year”. So I’m grateful for that. My back was hurting. I went and got treatment.

Winning by a distance: Bolt crosses the line to win gold

‘It was one of the best races of all time. I think the only reason it wasn’t better is Asafa got hurt. Otherwise everyone would have been under 10 seconds.

‘You guys doubted me. This is what I do. It’s fun for them (the fans) and I enjoy giving them the show. On your marks is when the focus starts.’

Blake, racing in his first Olympics, said: ‘Tonight was just a wonderful night for me. I’m still young, I’m 22, I’m so proud. A Jam one-two was just fantastic. The 200m coming up will be an interesting one. We can get a clean sweep in that. Is Bolt a legend Let’s wait for the 200m.’

Asafa Powell, the third Jamaican in the race, limped across the line last after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury.

Dynamic duo: Bolt celebrates with fellow Jamaican and runner-up Yohan Blake

Meanwhile, Bolt said the London Olympics have been 'great' but that he has been riled by petty rules.

He said: 'There are a lot of rules, oh my God. You can't do anything.

'I was coming and wanted to bring my tablets in and they said I couldn't. I asked why. It is just a rule.

'I had my skipping rope in my bag and they said I can't bring it in. Why It is just a rule.

'What if I need to take a rubber band inside to stretch I can't take it inside because it is a rule. It is just very small rules that don't make any sense to me.'

Bolt said he even encountered the rules at the start of the 100m.

Fan favorite: Bolt is congratulated by the people inside the Olympic champion

He added: 'The guy was telling us to line up. We were about to race and we were being told to stand in a straight line. It is kind of weird.'

Earlier, he told reporters: 'Great Britain is a wonderful place. They've done so well, I've been watching the cycling and the rowing, they've done so well. It's just a great Olympics, it's just a great place.'

He also said that he was enjoying life inside the athletes' village however and had been playing video games.

Bolt added he will be aiming to make it a 100m treble at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in four years' time.

He added: 'I'll be 30 but I hope I'll be there.'

Enlarge

The final places

London 2012 Olympics: Sailing: Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson guaranteed gold medal

Posted on August 3, 2012 by adminsports

Percy and Simpson guaranteed another medal for Team GB as pair sailing to success in Weymouth

UPDATED:

18:30 GMT, 3 August 2012

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LIVE RESULTS |
EVENT SCHEDULE |
MEDALS TABLE

Britain's Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson are guaranteed to end London 2012 on the podium and head into Sunday's medal race well placed to retain their Star class gold.

The Olympic champions of four years ago have an eight-point lead over second-place Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada after the 10 opening series races.

The Brazilian pair did, though, win the first race of the day as Simpson and Percy finished fourth, although the Brits responded superbly to get a bullet.

Class acts: Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson are on course to win a place on the podium in the men's star sailing

Scheidt and Prada, with Sweden's Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen are the only ones that can take gold away from the British pair, who cannot wait for Sunday's medal race

'It was a good comeback and then a good response in the second race,' said Percy, who also boasts Finn gold from Sydney 12 years ago.

'We lost points on our rivals in the first one and came back fighting so we are pleased about that.

'It is going to be a tight one as eight points is only three places in the medal race, really.

'It doesn't count for much so it is almost going to be a one race series between three boats, but what a great occasion. What a great thing to look forward to.

'The medals are decided already, just not what colour. Because of that we will just be focusing on trying to beat those two in the race.'

Fighting: The pair lost their first race to their rivals but battled back well

Fleet: The Team GB sailors stand a good chance of taking the gold

Ainslie is not quite certain of a podium finish, but heads into his medal race with a fourth Olympic gold in his own hands as only two points separate him and leader Jonas Hogh-Christensen.

Elsewhere, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark lead the women's 470 class after the opening day.

The pair recovered from a penalty turn to finish race one in sixth, before getting a bullet later in the afternoon.

Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell maintain their lead of the men's 470 fleet with a fourth and second today, while Ali Young sits fifth in the overall Laser Radial standings after a sixth and eighth.

Belgium's Evi van Acker leads overall after an eighth and first today, although her rivals are close behind.

Eyes on the prize: The pair have been in exceptional form so far in Weymouth

Great Britain's reigning Laser gold medallist Paul Goodison endured a tough day, with an 18th and 12th leaving him eighth overall.

Things also started badly for Australia's Laser fleet leader Tom Slingsby, but he recovered from a 15th in the first race to get a bullet.

The Antipodeans are also leading the 49er fleet, with Australia's Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen nine points clear of New Zealand duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.

Great Britain's Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes sit fourth in the standings after posting a 17th, fourth and 20th today. The latter is discarded as it is their worst of the regatta so far.

Sports Bound Guide

Sports Bound Guide. Fresh Sports News

Tag Archives: races

Cheltenham Festival – win VIP tickets

Lewis Hamilton targets fun finish at McLaren

Indian Grand Prix 2012: Live F1 coverage

Can the truce between Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button survive for five races?

Fernando Alonso warns Ferrari: I can"t win title if our car stays this slow

Mark Webber warning for Romain Grosjean

Gabriel Rasch signs for Team Sky

Fernando Alonso is focused on stopping Lewis Hamilton

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