Stuart Bithell

Sport: Sailing

Nation: Great Britain

DOB: August 28, 1986

Hometown: Rochdale

Career Highlights: Stuart Bithell sails for Great Britain in the 470 class at the London Olympics alongside 25-year-old Luke Patience. The pair won World Cup silver in 2009 after just two weeks of sailing together, but were dropped from the Great Britain pre-Olympic training squad despite a second place at the Sail for Gold Regatta later that year. Permanently paired with Patience, the two picked up silver at the 2011 World Championships in Perth to secure a spot in London and oust double Olympic medallist Nick Rodgers and his sailing partner Chris Grube from the team. As well as their two world silver medals, Bithell and Patience have won European bronze in both 2010 and 2011, but have yet to win a major championship. The Australian pair of Matt Belcher and Malcolm Page have World Cup and World Championship wins to their name and will go into London 2012 as favourites ahead of the British boat.

Olympic History: None