Team GB name their first 11 athletes for London 2012

Ben Ainslie The three-times ISAF sailor of the year is seeking a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Although his first triumph, at Sydney in 2000, was in the Laser, his last two have come in the Finn and that is the class in which he will compete next year Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Paul Goodison The defending Olympic champion in the Laser will be competing in his third Games, having finished fourth in Athens before his victory in Beijing Photograph: Richard Langdon/Oceanimages/Getty Images

Bryony Shaw After becoming Britain's first ever female windsurfing medallist in Beijing, Shaw claimed gold at a World Cup event in France last year. She will compete in the RS:X class once again in 2012 Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Nick Dempsey A former world No1 in the RS:X class, Dempsey narrowly missed out on a medal in Beijing but previously took bronze in Athens. Takes a lucky horseshoe with him to competitions, given to him by his wife Sarah Ayton, herself a two-time Olympic gold medallist Photograph: Geoff Moore/Rex Features

Andrew Simpson and Iain Percy Defending champions together in the Star class, Percy and Simpson have been sailing together since the age of seven. Percy has an additional previous gold medal of his own in the Finn from 2000 Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark Competing together in the 470 after Clark's previous partner, the two time gold-medallist Sarah Ayton, retired in February. Since pairing up they have medalled in all but one of the competitions they have entered Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Lucy MacGregor, Kate Macgregor and Annie Lush Competing in the new Olympic discipline of match racing, the group only began racing as a threesome last year but took gold at the World Championships in Rhode Island last September Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images