Fourth before - a medal this time?

Ed Gorman talks to Shirley Robertson, in Sydney for Britain in the Europe

Like Andy Beadsworth, who came fourth at the Olympic regatta in Savannah in the Soling class, Shirley Robertson knows what it is like to miss out on an Olympic medal. In the swamps and humidity of that Georgia resort she also had to accept a medal-less fourth place in Europes, returning home brokenhearted after years of work.

But like Beadsworth too, Robertson has not given up on her dream of Olympic glory and she will be racing at the Sydney Olympics, making it her third Games in the little single-handed dinghy. At 32, it will also almost
certainly be her last campaign in a solo class.

Over the years if you had to pin-point the major weakness in Robertson's armoury it would be her temperament, specifically her ability to hold it all together when the pressure comes on towards the end of a series or her ability to bounce back from a bad race.

Yet there are signs that Scotland's leading female racing sailor may have found the strength and confidence she has previously lacked. Preparing for Sydney, she is both more confident and relaxed than at the equivalent stage four years ago. "Obviously winning a medal is something I've been working towards for a long time," she told MadforSailing. "But I think as I've got older I've become much more relaxed about it. There's not the same kind of desperation as before and I'm much more pragmatic than I was.

"I'm preparing as well as I can," she added. "I'm working hard and sailing well and if that's not enough then that's not enough. I don't think I could really do any better. I think when I get to the Games I'll sail well - I'm
actually not nervous about the whole thing." Fighting talk indeed.

But it is not just talk. Mark Littlejohn, Robertson's coach, has no doubt Robertson is a wiser and a more cool-headed competitor than four years ago - and thus far more capable of capturing that elusive medal. He believes the turning point came in January at the class world championships in Brazil, where Robertson was leading overall going into the third last race.

It was to be a race that ended in disaster when she was controversially penalised for rocking, a second offence which left her with a disqualification. Distraught, Robertson had to produce some of the best pressure sailing of her career in the last two races to ensure a top-three finish and guarantee a berth at Sydney. Whereas in the past she may well have cracked, this time she came out and won the penultimate race and then did enough in the last one to finish second overall behind Kristine Roug of Denmark.

Littlejohn said, "I think the difference is that she's four years older and she's got more control of what she's doing in her life. I think that breeds a new sense of freedom and confidence. Shirley is a woman who knows what she wants and where she needs to go to get it and what to do to get there." he added.

Robertson has recently concluded a long training phase at Hayling Island where she worked with the young British sailor Sarah Ayrton, who is also working with her in Sydney. A new mast complying with new rules banning wingmasts in the class, has been successfully incorporated into her programme and she is looking forward to the considerable challenge of Sydney Harbour with some relish.

"We've already raced there quite a lot," she said. "I think it's going to be harder mentally than a lot of places. You are going to have days when you don't do very well - that's just the way it's going to go. So you have
to be able to pick yourself up the next day and not think 'oh god, it's all over.' But I have done that time and time again and I know how to make a fresh start."

Robertson's main rivals for medals will be Roug, the defending gold medallist and the impressive Dutch sailor Margriet Matthjisse who was runner-up in Savannah. Roug may not be as lightning quick as she once was, but she remains a potent threat. Matthisse has been winning everything recently and ran away with the pre-Olympic regatta last year. Yet Robertson does not believe she is invincible and predicts she may well struggle in light and shifty conditions.

Robertson knows as much as anyone about the pressures of winning at the Games and there will be no happier nor less deserving competitor at Rushcutter's Bay if she finally prevails.