Today's most viewed
| JOIN OUR READER PANEL |  | | | LOCAL NEWS | | |
|
|
|
Olympic heroes are all set for a golden return
 |
| WELL DONE: Children and staff from Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy spell out their congratulations for their Olympic heroes |
OLYMPIC heroes from Weymouth and Portland are looking forward to returning home to Britain on Monday.
The triumphant sailors have helped the British sailing team to achieve their best Olympic medal haul for 100 years.
Youngsters and staff at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy spelled out a congratulations' sign in recognition of their successes in Beijing.
A picture of them with their signs will be presented to Team GB.
Civic and sporting leaders in Weymouth and Portland are deciding how best to recognise the success of Olympic sailors based in Weymouth and Portland.
Suggestions have included statues, plaques, an open-top bus parade and special reception at the academy or Pavilion.
Windsurfer Bryony Shaw, 25, who won a bronze medal, said she and the other local sailors were looking forward to coming home for a big cheer'.
Bryony, of Wyke Regis, added: "If people wanted to go for anything it would be unreal.
 |
| HAPPY COUPLE: Weymouth's Great Britain's Yngling gold medalist Sarah Ayton with fiance, RS:X fourth-placed Olympian Nick Dempsey |
"Anything that Weymouth is happy to do, any sense of support would be really heartfelt.
"I'm just looking forward to coming back, to get the atmosphere."
The triumphant sailing team will be returning from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in China with four gold medals, one silver and a bronze.
This surpasses the Brits' medal total at the past two Games in Athens and Sydney, while the sailors' feat in Qingdao mirrors the achievements of the British sailing team at the 1908 London Games.
It also means for the third successive Olympics, Britain finishes the regatta as the world's top performing sailing nation.
Half the sailing medals were claimed by Weymouth-based sailors, with Sarah Ayton of Wyke Regis winning her second Olympic gold with Yngling crewmates Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson.
Laser sailor Paul Goodison, of Wyke Regis, took gold in the single-handed men's dinghy class and windsurfer Bryony clinched bronze in the women's RS:X fleet.
Andrew Simpson and Iain Percy struck gold in the Star men's keelboat class. Andrew is from Sherborne but the duo are based at the sailing academy.
Former Weymouth-based sailor Ben Ainslie dominated the men's heavyweight Finn dinghy class to claim his third Olympic gold.
Weymouth's top windsurfer Nick Dempsey narrowly missed out on his second Olympic bronze in the men's RS:X event when he finished in fourth place overall.
Saskia Clark, of Wyke Regis, showed promise in her first Olympic Games when she battled to sixth overall with teammate Christina Bassadone in the women's 470 dinghy class.
Coun Howard Legg, who is Olympic legacy spokesman for the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: "It's an amazing achievement, what they have done.
"Everybody is so incredibly proud and we're looking forward to celebrating them when they return.
"Nothing has been confirmed yet but of course we're going to do something.
"We're not going to let an opportunity like this go."
Other Dorset Olympians include Dorchester's taekwondo star Aaron Cook, Sturminster Newton's equestrian event rider William Fox-Pitt and Liz Yelling of Poole in athletics.
7:34am Saturday 23rd August 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: tiger, preston on 7:47pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Whilst I am pleased for them, I feel aggrieved that during his period of office, Howard Legg did not know that 2012 will be the 60th anniversary of the longest reigning British Monarch.
Weymouth has statues to Queen Victoria and King George lll.
A commerative statue to H.M. would be more in keeping and I am sure the Duke of Portland would donate the stone.
H.M. might be persuaded to unveil such commeration when she visits for the 2012 olympic sailing events.
Whilst I am pleased for them, I feel aggrieved that during his period of office, Howard Legg did not know that 2012 will be the 60th anniversary of the longest reigning British Monarch.
Weymouth has statues to Queen Victoria and King George lll.
A commerative statue to H.M. would be more in keeping and I am sure the Duke of Portland would donate the stone.
H.M. might be persuaded to unveil such commeration when she visits for the 2012 olympic sailing events.
Posted by: tiger, preston on 7:48pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Whilst I am pleased for them, I feel aggrieved that during his period of office, Howard Legg did not know that 2012 will be the 60th anniversary of the longest reigning British Monarch.
Weymouth has statues to Queen Victoria and King George lll.
A commerative statue to H.M. would be more in keeping and I am sure the Duke of Portland would donate the stone.
H.M. might be persuaded to unveil such commeration when she visits for the 2012 olympic sailing events.
Whilst I am pleased for them, I feel aggrieved that during his period of office, Howard Legg did not know that 2012 will be the 60th anniversary of the longest reigning British Monarch.
Weymouth has statues to Queen Victoria and King George lll.
A commerative statue to H.M. would be more in keeping and I am sure the Duke of Portland would donate the stone.
H.M. might be persuaded to unveil such commeration when she visits for the 2012 olympic sailing events.
Posted by: maximus, Weymouth on 10:15pm Sun 24 Aug 08
Judging by the time it has taken for the relief road, it might be 60 years before any statue would be raised.
Judging by the time it has taken for the relief road, it might be 60 years before any statue would be raised.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
