Macclesfield’s Ben Ainslie is taking to the skies in a bid to claim his fourth Olympic gold.

The 34-year-old is learning to fly in a bid to ease the pressure on him in the build-up to next year’s games in London.

Ainslie claimed silver in Atlanta in 1996 in the Laser class, won gold in Sydney in 2000 in the same event, before moving to the Finn classes and taking gold medals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing 2008.

And Ainslie insists that keeping a level head is key to gaining further success in London.

"It’s about avoiding getting carried away and focusing on the racing," Ainslie said.

"I’m learning to fly – that’s a good release for me.

"It’s something different. [I play] lots of other sports: golf, football."

He added: "It’s hard to fit in lessons – but I’m really enjoying that."