Slingo

Continuing my series of posts about the upcoming Olympics, it's time to decide who is going to win the Laser class.

Well, you would have to say that Tom Slingsby from Australia is the favorite. World Champion in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Winner of Sail for Gold at Weymouth in June (this year and last year.) Winner of the Olympic test event last year.

But he was also the favorite going in to the 2008 Olympics in China, and he finished 22nd there. What was that all about?

The gold medal winner in 2008 was, of course, Paul Goodison of Great Britain.

Pause for patriotic singing of God Save the Queen and frenzied chants of "GBR GBR GBR!"

So can Paul Goodison beat Slingo in this year's Olympics too? That is the question.

According to my sources, Goodo and Slingo have a bit of a feud going...

The rivalry stems from Beijing where Goodison won the gold medal and Slingsby slumped to a shock 22nd place. 

Then in 2011, at a world cup event in Mallorca, Goodison accused Slingsby of colluding with another GBR Laser sailor, Nick Thompson, to try and prevent him qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. 

Goodison then had a heated argument with Slingsby, a cage fighting fanatic, after June's Sail for Gold world cup event in Weymouth, southwest England. The Briton accused Slingsby of blocking him during the race - something Slingsby flatly denies.

Wait. Did they say CAGE FIGHTING?

This could get interesting...