Olympic profile: Iain Percy

Early ambitions – “Even though I’d always sailed, I was also very keen on playing rugby and thought that I would be working in the City once my career got underway. But 2000 was a major turning point and made me wonder whether sailing could be my career.”

Best/worst quality – “My best quality is being obsessive and focused. My worst is not being able to let go”

How do you relax? – “Listen to the radio – I’m a big fan of BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. Other than that, I like to go to the pub and talk rubbish with mates”

What picks you up when you’re down? – “Leonard Cohen, although I’m not sure it picks me up!”

Non sailing ambition – “Learn a language; walk across South America; sail (or rather cruise) around the world”

What’s your plan ‘B’? – “To coach the next generation of British sailors”

Pet hate – Going slow

Sporting hero – Haile Gebrselassie

Class sailed
Star

Routine
“The Star is such a technical boat, with so much detail to sort out, as well as complex logistics, that it’s easy to find yourself working flat out for six or seven days a week for long periods”

Typical Olympic day
“The same as Bart’s, but I don’t go to the weather briefing. Bart’s the weather man in our team and I prefer to go onto the racecourse with a clear head and an open mind – it helps me look at what conditions are really doing rather than what I want them to do in order to match up with the forecast”

Coach – David Howlett/Nick Harrison Training partner – John Gimson/Steve Milne

First class sailed – Optimist

First major success – 1999 Finn Europeans – 1st

Olympic track record
Gold 2000 Finn, Sydney, Australia 6th 2004 Star, Athens, Greece Gold 2008 Star, Qingdao, China

Favourite sailing venue – Sydney

Favourite regatta – Star Worlds
Favourite boat – Finn

Current car – Citroen C-Crosser Exclusive 2.2HDi

Personal favourites
Film – Cinema Paradiso
Band – The Cure
Book – Mornings in Jenin, Susan Abulhawa; Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Closing of the Western Mind, Charles Freeman
Non sailing item – Austin Healey 3000 MkIII 1965 (bought five years ago)
iPhone app – Drop Box and Wind Guru

iPod top 3 most played
Alexandra Leaving – Leonard Cohen
Hurt – Johnny Cash
Joleen – Dolly Parton