Medal contender Katherine Hopson will ceertainly have her sights set on gold at the Olympic Games in Athens this August – thanks to her local optician. Leightons Opticians in Eastleigh has recently become one of the first practices in the country to be accredited as a specialist Sports Vision Centre. They’ve teamed up with Southampton-based contact lens manufacturer CIBA Vision to ensure that Katherine and the rest of Team GBR’s Olympic sailing squad are ready for action at Athens.

Katherine and her sailing partner, Christina Bassadone, are the UK’s number one ranked females in the 470 class.

Research has shown that athletes of all kinds can improve their performance by up to 25 per cent by wearing contact lenses, so CIBA Vision is offering all British Olympic hopefuls free lenses as part of a sponsorship package.