The British yachtsman Sir Ben Ainslie – a four-time Olympic gold medallist – has been robbed of his Rolex watch after being mugged at knifepoint in Barcelona during the America’s Cup.
The 47-year-old was threatened with a knife on Saturday by a gang who took his watch, which had an estimated value of €20,000, La Vanguardia newspaper first reported.
According to Spanish media, he reported the theft himself on Monday at the citizen service office, which the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, have set up at the race venue.
A spokeswoman for the police force said: ‘The Mossos d’Esquadra became aware of the theft with intimidation of a luxury watch from a man linked to a America’s Cup competition team, within the framework of the security device established in Barcelona on the occasion of this sporting event.’
The robbery took place near a swimming club close to where the British team has based itself in the city, El Periodico reported. According to local media, Ainslie was mugged by a gang while leaving a restaurant on the Saturday night.
Ainslie is leading the Ineos Britannia team as both principal and skipper, hoping to secure their first ever victory in the America’s Cup.
The team is backed by the Ineos Group, owned by the billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is also the co-owner of Manchester United and has interests in Formula 1.
In a statement, Ainslie said: ‘Barcelona is a fantastic host city for the America’s Cup. 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 is now a matter with the local authorities.’
Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He has won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at four consecutive games held between 2000 and 2012.
According to police data, crime in Barcelona increased by over 8% last year compared with the previous year, surpassing the crime rate increase in London during the same period.
A joint police operation by Spanish authorities last year identified that 526 repeat offenders were responsible for more than 6,000 crimes in the city, which largely included pickpocketing and muggings on the streets.
Pickpocketing remains a big issue, making up just under half (48.1%) of reported crimes in Barcelona.
ALSO READ: America’s Cup kicks off in Barcelona with Preliminary Regatta – read our full guide (Part 1).
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