Luke Patience: Olympic sailor's Team GB rivalry going strong on dry land

Being confined to dry land hasn't halted the stormy sailing rivalry between Luke Patience and his Olympic crew.

Hitting the water is a pipe-dream for now, but spats and huffs are springing up all over as the Team GB colleagues compete against each other to rule the virtual waves.

"We have been racing a lot online and it is super competitive," said Aberdonian Patience, a silver medallist at the 2012 London Olympics.

"I have heard rumours of the odd phone being lobbed at the wall in frustration... not that I have done that.

"We are all a bunch of competitive people, we seem to be looking for fights the whole time so we have been getting it online, it is good fun.

"The online sailing is amazingly accurate in replicating the skill-sets from a decision-making point of view. The risk management, when do you take a rest, how do you play your next move. That is very much what sailing is so that has actually helped quite a lot."

Patience and his fellow sailors were the first Team GB athletes picked for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

And, following the decision to postpone the Games by 12 months because of the coronavius pandemic, the Royal Yachting Association's selection committee have confirmed Patience and his colleagues' qualification carries over.

"I am dead pleased - it means I can continue my programme, which is trying to win a gold medal at the Games," the Scot added.

"It just shows they are putting the athletes first because we have gone through a rigorous process to be nominated and selected and the delay could have thrown that all up in the air.

"We don't know when we will be out of lockdown, so they have rewarded that initial hard work we have put in."

Luke Patience, left, and his colleagues are getting plenty of sailing practice despite being in lockdown

Holed up in his parents' house during lockdown, Patience is finding innovative ways to keep in shape.

"Trying to tie cans of beans to the mop and do lifts and things like that, it is just a different more primitive way of looking at it all," the 33-year-old added.

"The one thing that never gets a break is the body. I am not the youngest these days so if I leave it too long I may fall off a cliff. It it is the weights stuff that is hard, you just have to be creative, it depends what you have in your garden.

"I have some big heavy rocks here, and bits of wood to fashion things out of. There are a ton of things you can do - it makes you wonder about the money you pay for gym memberships."

But spare a thought for the neighbours as Patience indulges his father's musical passion.

"Dad loves his music on the guitar so I will probably spend some long nights in the shed with him, playing the guitar to each other badly," he said.

"Just slow life down, take it easy and relax and know that I am one of the lucky ones at the minute that hasn't been affected by this virus."