Eight British sailors are the first athletes to be announced as part of the Team GB squad for next year's Olympics in Rio. Sailing is traditionally one of Great Britain's strongest sports at the Olympic Games having won 55 medals – including 26 golds – since the sport made its debut at Paris 1900.
And hopes will be high for more podium finishes with the eight selected athletes having already claimed four Olympic medals and seven World Championship titles between them.
Reigning world champion Giles Scott will go in the Finn class having gone unbeaten during the last two years while Beijing 2008 bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw has also made the grade.
London 2012 silver medallists Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will be aiming to go one better in the women's 470 class while in the men's event Luke Patience is joined by new partner, two-time world champion Elliot Willis.
Alison Young and reigning Laser world champion Nick Thompson complete the initial eight named although selection for the 49er Men, 49er FX Women, RS:X Men and Nacra 17 classes - which were all qualified through results at the 2014 World Championships - are still ongoing.
“The selection of the first Team GB athletes is a landmark moment on our journey to next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” said Chef de Mission, Mark England.
“The eight athletes named include Olympic medallists and world champions, all of whom have earned their place in the six boat classes.
“As one of our most successful medal-winning sports it is fitting that sailing kick-off our Rio 2016 team announcements.” Read more here.
Dom Inglot ensured there will be two British players in the US Open men’s doubles semi-finals after coming through his quarter-final in straight sets.
Inglot and Swedish partner Robert Lindstedt overcame sixth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea to join Jamie Murray and his partner, Australian John Peers, in the last four.
Inglot actually teamed with Mergea until the Romanian dropped him back in March and the Brit got a measure of revenge as he and Lindstedt emerged 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 winners at Flushing Meadows.
The duo will now face 12th seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France in the semi-final while eighth seeds Murray and Peers take on unseeded Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey.
And Inglot is already counting down the hours until the first Grand Slam semi-final of his career.
“Semis of a Grand Slam for the 1st time at US Open tomorrow vs. Mahut and Herbert,” tweeted the 29-year-old after his victory.
“Few big serves on that court. Pumped is an understatement!”
Triple Olympic medallist William Fox-Pitt claims Great Britain’s eventers will be seeking to lay down a marker for Rio when the Longines FEI European Championships get underway on Thursday.
Fox-Pitt, a former world No.1, will lead a 12-strong British squad into the European Championships at Blair Castle in the Scottish Highlands.
The 46-year-old is hoping to add to his tally of six European team golds and although he has 14 four-star titles to his name, he has never won an individual Olympic, World or European crown.
Having won team gold at the previous two European Championships, Germany appear to be the team to beat and can boast the likes of Olympic champion Michael Jung and world champion Sandra Auffarth in their ranks.
But Fox-Pitt is adamant that Great Britain will produce a strong display on home soil as they cast one eye towards next year’s Olympic Games in Rio.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for riders to prove themselves, particularly ahead of Rio next summer,” he said.
“We have got some very talented combinations competing at Blair. There will be British riders out to prove a point, and with a very good chance of doing extremely well. The future looks bright.
“The strength in depth really is there, and the horsepower is increasing – we have always had good riders, but they have not always had the right horses at the right time.
“The riders have really earned their selection for an event that will undoubtedly have a bearing on 2016 selection.”
Andy Murray will be disappointed with his US Open exit but can bounce back to be a key cog in Great Britain’s upcoming semi-final with Australia, according to Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.
Murray was knocked out by Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the US Open on Tuesday but has been named as part of Smith’s team for the Davis Cup clash against the Australians starting on September 18.
Great Britain will be seeking to reach just their second Davis Cup final since 1937 by recording victory at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
And despite his four-set loss to Anderson at Flushing Meadows, Smith is convinced British No.1 Murray has the capability to respond in style.
“He's going to be obviously very disappointed,” said Smith. “But Andy's so professional, he'll have to lick his wounds, get over the disappointment.
“He is playing great tennis. He is number three in the world, close to number two spot.
“What more can you say? Semis at Wimbledon, semis in Paris, final of the Australian Open, just a few weeks ago we are singing his praises because he wins in Montreal after beating Novak Djokovic.
“He'll enjoy it [the Davis Cup] like he always does and the Aussies will know he's going to be very, very difficult to beat.
“I think he's in great form this year and he'll take it into the weekend.”
Owain Doull finished fourth on stage four of the Tour of Britain to remain as the leading Brit in the race, just 14 seconds behind leader Juan Jose Lobato of Spain.
Riding for Team Wiggins, Doull was edged out by Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria, Germany’s Andre Greipel and Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen on the 217km stage from Edinburgh to Blyth but is still sixth overall.
Gaviria was guided to victory by Etixx - Quick-Step team-mate Mark Cavendish, who ultimately finished 13th on the day.
© Sportsbeat 2015