9. Ben Ainsley (Sailing)
Most of you may not have known a lot about Ben Ainsley before the start of this year, unless of course you know your port from your aft, but few could forget his dogged fightback to claim the gold medal in the Finn-class category. What you may not know is that he has been competing at the top for 16 years having won medals in 5 consecutive Olympics. He is only the 3rd person to achieve such a feat. With another successful Olympic performance it is high time Ainsley gets recognition for his endeavor as being the only sailor ever to win 4 consecutive gold medals. That is the scale and longevity of his dominance in his sport.