A Macclesfield Olympian has been named as one of the most successful athletes in the North West.

Four-time Olympic gold medal winner Ben Ainslie has made the Top 10 of the study conducted by EssentialLiving.

Taking the top five athletes from each sports category, the findings mapped the top 100 athletes across Britain accompanied by their achievements, dates of birth and where they were born.

The 44-year-old Olympic Sailor placed ninth, and is the highest-ranked Cheshire athlete according to this study.

Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie CBE was born in our town to parents Roddy and Sue Ainslie.

The world's greatest sailor first learned his skills at Redesmere Lake in Siddington.

He went to school in Holmes Chapel, but then moved out of Cheshire to Cornwall, which is where his sailing career really grew.

Other than rower Andrew Triggs-Hodge, Ben was the only sportsperson from Cheshire to make the list.

Here are the top 10 most successful athletes born and bred in the North West according to EssentialLiving:

1. Andrew Triggs Hodge - Halton (3 Olympic Gold Medals)

1. Ben Ainslie - Macclesfield (4 Olympic Gold Medals)

1. Nicky Butt- Manchester (6 Premier League wins)

1. Gary Neville - Bury (8 Premier League wins)

1. Fred Perry- Stockport (10 Major Tournament wins)

1. Paul Scholes - Manchester (11 Premier League wins)

1. Bill Beaumont - Chorley (Member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame)

1. Jason Kenney- Bolton (6 Olympic Gold Medals Overall)

1. Sarah Storey - Eccles (5 Paralympic Gold Medals)

1. Mikey Kenney - Salford (16 Paralympic Gold Medals)

You can read the full list here.

Macclesfield Nub News have reached out to Ben's team for comment.

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