Olympic legend Sir Ben Ainslie robbed at knifepoint of £17k Rolex in Barcelona

Sir Ben Ainslie was cornered by a gang who threatened him with a knife, according to local media reports

Sir Ben Ainslie is in Barcelona to lead his racing team, INEOS Britannia (PA Wire)

Sir Ben Ainslie, one of Britain’s greatest Olympians, has been robbed at knifepoint for his Rolex watch in Barcelona.

Sir Ben, aged 47, was cornered by a gang who threatened with a knife before taking the watch, worth £16,858, on Saturday night, according to local media.

The four-time gold medallist is in Barcelona as part of the INEOS Britannia sailing team for the America’s Cup.

Sir Ben confirmed the theft in a statement, telling the Telegraph: “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.

“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.”

Barcelona is notorious for watch thefts, often from wealthy tourists, prompting authorities to form a dedicated police team dealing with the robbery of high-value watches.

The Independent has contacted Sir Ben and INEOS Britannia for further comment.

On Thursday it appeared he had put the theft behind him to focus on the Amercia’s Cup, with the team hoping to make the final round of the competition in New Zealand in October.

“Racing for keeps now with ⁦@ineosbritannia. Massive team effort to get us this far and now the fun begins,” he wrote on X on Thursday morning.

Earlier this year, Sir Ben, who is the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, announced his decision to step down from the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team.