| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1968-07-15)15 July 1968 (age 57) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sailing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class | Europe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Island Sailing Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shirley Ann Robertson,OBEDL (born 15 July 1968) is a British sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She is the firstBritish woman to win Olympic gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games,Sydney 2000 andAthens 2004.
Robertson was born inDundee,Scotland, but spent her early life inMenstrie in centralScotland. 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.[1]
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.
| Year | Position | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Europe class | ||
| 1996 | Europe class | ||
| 2000 | Europe class | ||
| 2004 | Yngling class |
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.[2]
Four years later, at the Athens 2004 Olympics, Robertson secured her second gold medal, this time in the Yngling class, alongside crew-matesSarah Webb andSarah Ayton. This achievement made her the first British woman to win gold medals at two consecutive Olympic Games.[3]
| Pos | Year | Regatta | Event | Class | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1987 | IYRU World Women's Sailing Championships | Female | ILCA | ||
| 18 | 1990 | Female | Europe class | |||
| 36 | 1992 | Female | Europe class|- | |||
2nd | 1993 | Europe World Championships | Female | Europe class | ||
| 16 | 1994 | Female | Europe class | |||
| 13 | 1995 | Female | Europe class | |||
| 4 | 1997 | Female | Europe class | |||
2nd | 1998 | Female | Europe class | |||
3rd | 1999 | Female | Europe class | |||
2nd | 2000 | Female | Europe class | |||
| 14 | 2001 | Yngling World Championship | Open | Yngling |  Craig Mitchell (GBR) Samantha Davies (GBR)[4] | |
| 16 | 2002 | Female | Yngling | Sarah Ayton (GBR) Inga Leask (GBR) | ||
| 7 | 2003 | Female | Yngling | Sarah Ayton (GBR) Sarah Webb (GBR) | ||
| 12 | 2003 | Open | Yngling | Sarah Ayton (GBR) Sarah Webb (GBR) | ||
| 16 | 2004 | Female | Yngling | Sarah Ayton (GBR) Sarah Webb (GBR) | ||
| 2007 | Female | Yngling | Cascais,Portugal | Lucy Macgregor (GBR) Annie Lush (GBR) | ||
| 8th | 2008 | Female | Yngling | Lucy Macgregor (GBR) Annie Lush (GBR) | ||
| 5 | 1999 | ISAFWomen's Match Racing World Championship | Female | J/22 | Genoa, Italy | [5] |
| 4 | 2000 | Female | Sonar | St. Petersberg, USA | [6] | |
| 4th | 2010 | Extreme 40 World Championship | Open |
From 2006 to 2019 she presenter ofMainsail, a monthlyCNN program devoted to the sport of sailing. Since 2008 she has been also a commentator for theBBC's sailing coverage at theSummer Olympics, commentating from five Olympic sailing regattas. She also has done a number of events hostingWorld Sailor of the Year Awards on multiple occasions.[7]
Robertson is also part of the commentary team for the prestigiousAmerica's Cup, commentating from Auckland, New Zealand and Barcelona, Spain for the 36th and 37th editions of the world's oldest international sporting trophy.
Robertson was responsible for appointing one of the seven teenagers to light theOlympic cauldronat the opening ceremony of the2012 Summer Olympics inLondon. She nominated upcoming youth sailor Callum Airlie.[8] 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.[9][10]
In 2023, she became the godmother ofMSAmbition, a cruise ship operated byAmbassador Cruise Line.[11] The first stop on the ship's maiden voyage was from Newcastle to Dundee, Robertson's birth place.[citation needed]
In 2024 Shirley Robertson took up the roll of General Manager of theSuperYacht Racing Association, SYRA. Robertson herself has been racing on the superyacht circuit for over a decade.[citation needed]
Robertson was namedfemale World Sailor of the Year byWorld Sailing in 2000, and was appointed anMBE in 2000 followed by anOBE in 2005 for services to Sailing.[citation needed] She was awarded an honorary MSc by the University of Chichester in 2001.[12]
Shirley married Irish businessman Jamie Boag[13] who she has twins Killian and Annabel with.[14][15] She now lives with her longterm partner, documentary cameraman Tim Butt inCowes, on theIsle of Wight.[citation needed]
{{cite web}}:Check|url= value (help);Missing or empty|title= (help)
  | This article about a Scottish Olympic medalist is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
  | This biographical article related to sailing in United Kingdom is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
