Ainslie may be denied title defence
Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie's participation in this year's America's Cup may jeopardise his chances of defending his crown in Beijing.
The Briton, widely regarded as the world's greatest dinghy sailor, has been told he must race off for the right to compete in China next year.
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Olympian Ben Ainslie in Qingdao
Ainslie, a gold medallist at the last two Olympics, has seen his world ranking drop to No 79 because he has not been racing elsewhere as a result of his involvement with New Zealand's 2007 America's Cup squad.
He will sail for his place in the Finn class against Ed Wright, the current world No 3, at the Sydney International Regatta in December.
The trial will be sudden death, winner-takes-all, unless the international quality of the competition is below standard.
In that case the trial will be in January in Melbourne at the Finn Gold Cup, the class's world championship.
Ainslie, 30, who is bidding for selection for a fourth Olympics, has won the last two Olympic rehearsal regattas in Qingdao, next year's Olympic course.
He has already agreed to helm the British 2009 America's Cup challenger, but selectors are not holding that against him.
They believe that he could handle preparations for both next year but first he must convince them he has the beating of the in-form Wright.
Last month the selectors denied another Olympic champion the chance to defend her title.
Shirley Robertson has been passed over in the Yngling class and preference given to a crew led by one of her gold boat, Sarah Ayton.
Robertson criticised selectors at the time for not continuing the trials, as they have chosen to do now in the Finn class.
Another Olympic champion, Iain Percy, gold medallist in Sydney in 2000 in the Finn class and Ainslie's deputy helmsman in the 2009 America's Cup, was named yesterday with Andrew Simpson for the Star class at next year's Olympics.
The pair won bronze at this year's World Championships, but it will be Simpson's first Olympics after he failed to qualify in 2000 and 2004.
