Olympics 2016

As he heads into his first Olympic Games, as the favourite in the Finn class, the fact that four times world champion Giles Scott (GBR) has won almost every regatta since his failure to beat Ben Ainslie (GBR) for the British place at the London 2012 Olympics means very little. Rio 2016 is just one more regatta he wants to win; perhaps more than all the rest put together, but he knows it will probably be the hardest. The others know he is the favourite, but they also know he can be beaten, and that is the challenge facing them.

New Zealand has an illustrious history in the Finn class at the Olympic Games and if recent form is a guide, Josh Junior (NZL) will be one of the medal favourites this year in Rio. Previously Russell Coutts (NZL) won gold in 1984, and John Cutler (NZL) and Craig Monk (NZL) won bronze in 1988 and 1992.

Jake Lilley (AUS) has had just over three years to get himself ready for the Rio Olympics. He followed the 2012 Games on TV and decided that’s what he wanted to be doing in four years time. He bought a Finn, starting training and the rest is history. Now he is World No. 5 and he goes into the Rio Olympics with a reasonable shot at a medal.

When it really mattered and there were no second chances, Giorgio Poggi (ITA), took an emphatic win in the Italian Olympic trials in the Finn, with a career best fifth place at the 2016 Finn Gold Cup in Gaeta, Italy, an event which he played a part in bringing to his home country.

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Rio Finn favourite Giles Scott taking nothing for granted

Josh Junior aspires to repeat Kiwi Olympic Finn success in Rio

Jake Lilley bridges the experience gap as he prepares for Rio Finn contest

Full focus for second Olympics in Finn for Giorgio Poggi