Australia and Olympic Sailing

Australia’s first sailing medals were won in Melbourne in 1956 with Rolly Tasker and John Scott, finishing second in the Sharpies, after a count-back, and Sturrock with Dev Mytton and Doug Buxton winning a bronze medal in the 5.5-Metre class. Sturrock was to go on to carry the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony at Rome 1960.

The oldest Australian Olympic gold medallist was Bill Northam who, aged almost 60, skippered his crew of Peter O’Donnell and James Sargeant to victory in the 5.5-Metre class at Tokyo 1964. In Munich 1972, John Cuneo with Tom Anderson and John Shaw won the Dragon class, and David Forbes with John Anderson were victorious in the Star class. The Andersons were twins.

Sydney 2000 was the next time Australian sailors won gold when Tom King and Mark Turnbull won the men’s 470 class and Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell won the women’s.

Athens 2004 was the first time since Seoul 1988 that Australian sailors failed to reach the podium at the Games.

Olympic History

The first Olympic sailing events were conducted in Paris in 1900, although some noted historians have questioned the legitimacy of those events as Olympic events. London 1908 saw sailing commence its unbroken run as an Olympic sport. Since then, the classes of competing boats and scoring systems have seen many changes. Women have always been permitted to sail in the Olympic regatta but events exclusively for women sailors were introduced Barcelona 1992.

Gold Medal Winners from the Past Three Olympic Games

Men - Mistral
Atlanta 1996 - Nikoloas KAKLAMANAKIS (GRE)
Sydney 2000 - Christoph SIEBER (AUT)
Athens 2004 - Gai FRIDMAN (ISR)

Men - Finn
Atlanta 1996 - Matesusz KUSZNIEREWICZ (POL)
Sydney 2000 - Iain PERTCY (GBR)
Athens 2004 - Ben AINSLIE (GBR)

Men - 470
Atlanta 1996 - BRASLAVETS / MATVIYENKO (UKR)
Sydney 2000 - TURNBULL / KING (AUS)
Athens 2004 - FOERSTER / BURNHAM (USA)

Men - Star
Atlanta 1996 - FERREIRA / GRAEL (BRA)
Sydney 2000 - LILIJEDAHL / REYNOLDS (USA)
Athens 2004 - FERREIRA / GRAEL (BRA)

Women - Mistral
Atlanta 1996 - Lee LAI-SHAN (HKG)
Sydney 2000 - Alessandra Sensini (ITA)
Athens 2004 - Faustine MERRETT (FRA)

Women - Europe
Atlanta 1996 - Kristine ROUG (DEN)
Sydney 2000 - Shirley ROBERTSON (GBR)
Athens 2004 - Siren SUNDBY (NOR)

Women - 470
Atlanta 1996 - ZABELL / DUFRESENE (ESP)
Sydney 2000 - STOWELL / ARMSTRONG (AUS)
Athens 2004 - BEKATOROU / TSOULFA (GRE)

Women - Yngling
Atlanta 1996 - not held
Sydney 2000 - not held
Athens 2004 - ROBERTSON / WEBB / AYTON (GBR)

Open - Laser
Atlanta 1996 - Robert SCHEIDT (BRA)
Sydney 2000 - Ben AINSLIE (GBR)
Athens 2004 - Robert SCHEIDT (BRA)

Open - 49er
Atlanta 1996 - not held
Sydney 2000 - JARVI / JOHANSON (FIN)
Athens 2004 - MARTINEZ / FERNANDEZ (ESP)

Open - Tornado
Atlanta 1996 - TULIESA / BOISSIER (ESP)
Sydney 2000 - STEINACHER / HAGARA (AUT)
Athens 2004 - STEINACHER / HAGARA (AUT)