British Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie robbed of £17,000 Rolex at knifepoint in Barcelona
28 August 2024, 22:38
Ben Ainslie, the former British Olympic champion yachtsman, has been robbed of his Rolex at knifepoint in Barcelona.
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Ainslie, 47, who is leading Britain's Ineos Britannia America's Cup team in the Spanish city, was attacked by a gang while leaving a restaurant on Saturday night.
The luxury watch was said to be valued at €20,000, or nearly £17,000.
Ainslie reported the theft to the police on Monday, and sought to play down the severity of the incident in a statement.
"Barcelona is a fantastic host city for the America's Cup, and the team has felt welcomed and is enjoying our stay in this vibrant city," he told the Telegraph.
Read more: More than £30m worth of luxury watches stolen every year in London, crime figures reveal
He added: "Like in all big cities, you can be affected by opportunistic crime and my situation is no different. This matter is now with the local authorities."
Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history, having won gold medals at four straight games between 2000 and 2012.
He also won silver at the 1996 Olympics.
Barcelona has been plagued by a series of expensive watch thefts in recent years, including an incident that saw footballer Robert Lewandowski have his watch stolen by a robber posing as a fan.
London appears to be no better, with over £30 million worth of luxury watches are stolen in the capital every year.
In total, more than 100,000 watches have been stolen across the UK since 2015, according to data released in a Freedom of Information request by Watchfinder & Co.
