Paul Goodison

Nickname

Goody or Golden Goody. (volvocarssailing.co.uk, rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Hobbies

Windsurfing, kite surfing, golf and mountain biking. (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Occupation

Athlete

Education

Maritime Studies - Southampton Solent University, Southampton, GBR

Club name

Ulley Sailing Club, Rotherham, GBR

Coach

Chris Gowers (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Handedness

Right (ISAF, 31 Jul 2008)

Injuries

Despite winning gold and claiming the Sofia Trophy, he competed with a back injury at the 2011 Mallorca leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. (paulgoodison.com, trofeoprincesasofia.org, 17 Apr 2011)

In late 2007 he fractured the scaphoid bone in his right wrist after falling off his bike. (paulgoodison.com, 13 Jan 2008)

Additional information

Start of sporting career
He began sailing at the age of four at the Ulley Sailing Club in Yorkshire, England. (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Reason for taking up this sport
His father got him into the sport. He had designs on being a footballer until a knee injury stopped him from playing for six months when he was 11. During the time off football he went sailing with his dad and swiftly developed a passion for the sport. (skandiateamgbr.com, 26 Sep 2007; bbc.co.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Ambitions
To compete in the Volvo Ocean Race and ride a tube on a surfboard. (yachtingworld.com, 03 Oct 2011; paulgoodison.com, 23 Feb 2012)

Training
As well as spending time on the water, he does weight training in the gym and aerobic training on a bike. (paulgoodison.com, 23 Feb 2012)

Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "It was only really when I was stood on the podium in Beijing listening to the national anthem that I truly believed what I had achieved." (solent.ac.uk, 03 Nov 2009)

Claiming his fifth consecutive European title and his first world title in 2009. (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Hero
The United States' multiple Tour de France champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, British mountain bike rider Steve Peat and Great Britain's multiple world and Olympic champion rower Steve Redgrave. (NOC, 31 Jul 2008; rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Most influential person in career
His parents and fellow Great Britain sailor and Olympic champion Ben Ainslie. (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"Go big or go home." (rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

"The strict one-design nature of the Laser means that the racing at Olympic level is very close indeed. It's easy to get buried after a small mistake. This, in turn, can often mean that success is more about keeping your head in the right place when things go wrong." (yachtingworld.com, 03 Oct 2011)

Awards
In November 2009 Southampton Solent University gave him an Honorary Doctorate of Sport in recognition of his outstanding sailing achievements. (solent.ac.uk, 03 Nov 2009)

He was conferred Member of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2009 New Year Honours List. (volvocarssailing.co.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

At the 2007 BBC Yorkshire Sports Awards, he received Sport England's Senior Male award in recognition of his sailing achievements. (yachtsandyachting.com, 04 Dec 2007; paulgoodison.com 18 Jan 2008)

General
FRACTURED FRIENDSHIP
He and Australian Tom Slingsby used to be good friends. But the two had a heated exchange at a pub after the Weymouth pre-Olympic regatta in June 2012. Goodison said Slingsby's Australian team-mate Tom Burton had blocked him in the race, costing him a chance to medal. Goodison and Slingsby did not see eye to eye on the issue, and their friendship became more tense in the weeks before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where both are expected to be medal contenders. (metro.co.uk, 14 Jun 2012)

SAILOR MADE
His long-term partner/girlfriend is fellow Great Britain sailor and 2008 Olympian Saskia Clark. The pair started to date in 2002 and live together in Weymouth. He says that over time they have both learnt when to step in and support and when to back off and give each other space. (express.co.uk, 02 Dec 2011)

RUNNING WITH HAILE
In September 2011, as part of a sponsor's event, he had the opportunity to take a morning run in Hyde Park, London, with Ethiopia's world and Olympic champion long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie. He managed to keep up with Gebrselassie but said his calf muscles still ached a week later. "He runs about 200km a week," he said. "It was fascinating speaking to him about how he keeps himself focused and what he thinks about while he is doing these training runs." (paulgoodison.com, 10 Oct 2011)

OLYMPIC MOTIVATION
He received part of his motivation to win an Olympic gold medal after travelling to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as Ben Ainslie's training partner. Then Ainslie moved on to the Finn class and he stepped into the Laser spot for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, but could only manage fourth place. He considered leaving sailing behind and joining the Royal Air Force [RAF] before deciding to use the experience as an incentive. Taking the 'leather medal' was something he didn't want to repeat. "I just remember thinking that I never wanted to feel like that again," he said. "Just remembering how bad it felt is enough to drive me on to make sure that I never take anything for granted." (yachtingworld.com, 03 Oct 2011; rya.org.uk, 23 Feb 2012)

COACHING ASSIGNMENT
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games he coached Great Britain's first female sailing gold medallist, Shirley Robertson. (Ulley Sailing Club, 10 Apr 2003)

Previous Olympics

Beijing 2008, Athens 2004