Shirley Robertson

Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE DL (born 15 July 1968) is a British sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She is the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal at consecutive games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

Shirley Robertson

Medal record
Women's sailing
Representing Great Britain
Olympic Games
	2000 Sydney	Europe class
	2004 Athens	Yngling class
World Championships
	1993 Kaløvig	Europe class
	1998 Travemünde	Europe class
	2000 Salvador da Bahia	Europe class
	1999 Mornington	Europe class
	2007 Cascals	Yngling class
European Championships
	1999 Hayling Island	Europe class

Early life

Robertson was born in Dundee, Scotland, but spent her early life in Menstrie in central Scotland. Robertson began sailing at the age of seven on Loch Ard in Scotland. Her early passion for the sport was nurtured by her family, leading her to compete in local and national events.

Career

Robertson's first major international breakthrough came in the 1998 World Championships, where she won a silver medal in the Europe class. This set the stage for her Olympic debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where she competed in the Europe class, finishing in fourth place.

Robertson made a significant breakthrough during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where she won her first gold medal in the Europe class. This victory marked a significant moment in British sailing history, as it was the first time a British woman had won an Olympic gold in sailing.

Four years later, at the Athens 2004 Olympics, Robertson secured her second gold medal, this time in the Yngling class, alongside crew-mates Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton. This achievement made her the first British woman to win gold medals at two consecutive Olympic Games.

Post-Olympic career

In January 2006 she became the regular presenter of Mainsail, a CNN monthly program devoted to the sailing world. She was also a commentator for the BBC's sailing coverage at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Robertson nominated Callum Airlie as one of the seven teenagers to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. During the games, she became a commentator for the BBC, commentating on the sailing from Weymouth.

In 2019, Robertson launched her own podcast series: Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast which sees Robertson sit down for in depth and personal interviews with some of the leading figures from the sport of sailing.

In 2023, she became the godmother of MS Ambition, a cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line. The first stop on the ship's maiden voyage was from Newcastle to Dundee, Robertson's birth place.

Competition record

Representing Great Britain

Year	Competition	Location	Position	Event
1993	World Championships	Kaløvig, Denmark	2nd	Europe class
1998		Travemünde, Germany	2nd	Europe class
1999		Mornington, Australia	3rd	Europe class
1999	European Championships	Hayling Island, United Kingdom	2nd	Europe class
2000	World Championships	Salvador da Bahia, Brazil	2nd	Europe class
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	1st	Europe class
2004		Athens, Greece	1st	Yngling class
2007	World Championships	Cascais, Portugal	3rd	Yngling class

Honours and recognition

In recognition of her services to sailing, Robertson was named female World Sailor of the Year by the International Sailing Federation in 2000, and was appointed an MBE in 2000 and an OBE in 2005.

Personal life

Shirley married Jamie Boag in June 2006 with whom she has two children. They live in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

External links

• Official website
• Shirley Robertson OBE at the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
• Shirley Ann Robertson MBE at World Sailing
• Shirley Robertson at Olympics.com
• Shirley Robertson at Olympedia
• Shirley Robertson at Team GB
• Article on WideWorld Magazine