Olympic sailing heroes

Our ranking of the greatest sailors over the history of the Games

The following league table shows the sailors who, over the course of Olympic sailing have won medals in what and when. The table only includes multi-medallists and we have established our ranking by scoring three points for a gold, two for silver and one for bronze.

The top scoring sailor on this list taking part in the Athens Olympics is Torben Grael, on 7 points.

Obviously Olympic sailling has got harder over the ages and we haven't taken into account the Games in the early part of the last century where for example the cunning Norwegian team won silver in both the 7m and 8m classes in the same Games in 1920.

Sailor	Nat	Gold	Silver	Bronze	No	Our total
Paul Elvstrom	DEN	4: Firefly/London 1948, Finn/Helsinki 1952, Melbourne-Stockholm 1956, Rome 1960	0	0	4	12
Valentyn Mankin	USSR	3: Finn/Mexico 1976, Tempest/Munich 1972, Star/Moscow 1980	1: Tempest/Montreal 1976	0	4	11
Jochen Schuemann	GER	3: Finn/Montreal 1976, Soling/Seoul 1988 - Atlanta 1996	1: Soling/Sydney 2000	0	4	11
Rodney Pattisson	GBR	2: Flying Dutchman/Mexico 1968, Munich 1972	1: Flying Dutchman/Montreal 1976	0	3	8
Poul Jensen	DEN	2: Soling/Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980	1: Dragon/Mexico 1968	0	3	8
Magnus Konow	NOR	2: 12m/Stockholm 1912, 8m/Antwerp 1920	1: 6mBerlin 1936	0	3	8
Mark Reynolds	USA	2: Star/Barcelona 1992, Sydney 2000	1: Star/Seoul 1988	0	3	8
Torben Grael	BRA	1: Star/Atlanta 1996	1: Soling//Los Angeles 1984	2: Star/Seoul 1988, Sydney 2000	4	7
Jesper Bank	DEN	2: Soling/Barcelona 1992, Sydney 2000	0	1: Soling/Seoul 1988	3	7
Léon Huybrechts	BEL	1: Olympic Class One Design/Paris 1924	2: 6m/London 1908, Antwerp 1920	0	3	7
Ole Berntsen	DEN	1: Dragon/Tokyo 1964	1: Dragon/Melbourne/Stockholm 1956	1: Dragon/London 1948	3	6
Barbara Kendall	NZ	1: Lechner board/Barcelona 1992	1: Mistral/Atlanta 1996	1: Mistral/Sydney 2000	3	6
Johan Anker	NOR	2: 12m Stockholm 1912, 6m Amsterdam 1928	0	0	2	6
Valdemar Bandolowski	DEN	2: Soling/Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980	0	0	2	6
Haakon Barfod	NOR	2: Dragon/London 1948, Helsinki 1952	0	0	2	6
Andreas Brecke	NOR	2: 8m/Stockholm 1912, 6m/Antwerp 1920	0	0	2	6
Luis Doreste	SPA	2: 470 men/Los Angeles 1984, Flying Dutchman Barcelona 1992	0	0	2	6
Thomas Flach	GER	2: Soling/Seoul 1988, Atlantic 1996	0	0	2	6
Erik Hansen	DEN	2: Soling/Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980	0	0	2	6
Nicolas Henard	FRA	2: Tornado/Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992	0	0	2	6
Linton Hope	FRA	2: 0.5-1 tonner and Open class/Paris 1900	0	0	2	6
Bernd Jakel	GER	2: Soling/Seoul 1988, Atlantic 1996	0	0	2	6
Sigve Lie	NOR	2: Dragon/London 1948, Helsinki 1952	0	0	2	6
Lord Currie	FRA	2: 0.5-1 tonner and Open class/Paris 1900	0	0	2	6
Ingar Nielsen	NOR	2: 10m/Antwerp 1920, 8m/Paris 1924	0	0	2	6
Thor Thorvaldsen	NOR	2: Dragon/London 1948, Helsinki 1952	0	0	2	6
Herman Whiton	USA	2: 6m/London 1948, Helsinki 1952	0	0	2	6
Theresa Zabell	SPA	2: 470/Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996	0	0	2	6
Martin Hindorff	SWE	1: 6m/Los Angeles 1932	0	2: 6m/Berlin 1936, London 1948	3	5
Ben Ainslie	GBR	1: Laser/Sydney 2000	1: Laser/Atlanta 1996	0	2	5
Peter Barrett	USA	1: Star/Mexico 1968	1: Finn/Tokyo 1964	0	2	5
Folke Bohlin	SWE	1: Dragon/Melbourne-Stockholm 1956	1: Dragon/London 1948	0	2	5
Rod Davis	NZL	1: Soling/Los Angeles 1984	1: Star/Barcelona 1992	0	2	5
Harold Haenel	USA	1: Star/Barcelona 1992	1: Star/Seoul 1988	0	2	5
Carl Hellstrom	SWE	1: 10m/Stockholm 1912	1: 8m/London 1908	0	2	5
Peder Lunde Jr	NOR	1: Flying Dutchman/Rome 1960	1: Star/Mexico 1968	0	2	5
Nicolo Rode	ITA	1: Star/Helsinki 1952	1: Star/Melbourne-Stockholm 1956	0	2	5
Robert Scheidt	BRA	1: Laser/Atlanta 1996	1: Laser/Sydney 2000	0	2	5
Rex Sellers	NZL	1: Tornado/Los Angeles 1984	1: Tornado/Seoul 1988	0	2	5
Sture Stork	SWE	1: 5.5m/Melbourne-Stockhom 1956	1: 5.5m/Tokyo 1964	0	2	5
Agostino Straulino	ITA	1: Star/Helsinki 1952	1: Star/Melbourne-Stockholm 1956	0	2	5
Lars Thorn	SWE	1: 5.5m/Melbourne-Stockhom 1956	1: 5.5m/Tokyo 1964	0	2	5
Christopher Timms	NZL	1: Tornado/Los Angeles 1984	1: Tornado/Seoul 1988	0	2	5
Christian von Bulow	DEN	1: Dragon/Tokyo 1964	1: Dragon/Melbourne/Stockholm 1956	0	2	5
Eric Wallerius	SWE	1: 10m/Stockholm 1912	1: 8m/London 1908	0	2	5
Adriaan Maas	NED	0	1: Olympic class OC/Los Angeles 1932	2: Star/Berlin 1936, London 1948	3	4
Sten Abel	NOR	0	2: 7m and 8m/Antwerp 1920	0	2	4
John Anderson	AUS	1: Star/Munich 1972	0	1: Tornado/Los Angeles 1984	2	4
William Bentsen	USA	1: Soling/Munich 1972	0	1: Flying Dutchman/Tokyo 1964	2	4
Christian Dick	NOR	0	2: 7m and 8m/Antwerp 1920	0	2	4
Carlos Espinola	ARG	0	2: Mistral/Atlantic 1996, Sydney 2000	0	2	4
Johann Faye	NOR	0	2: 7m and 8m/Antwerp 1920	0	2	4
Marcela Ferreira	BRA	1: Star/Atlanta 1996	0	1: Star/Sydney 2000	2	4
Paul Foerster	USA	0	2: Flying Dutchman/Barcelona 1992, 470 Sydney 2000	0	2	4
Lars Grael	BRA	0	1: Soling/Los Angeles 1984	2: Tornado/Seoul 1988, Atlantic 1996	3	4
Anthony Kendall	NZL	1: Div 2 board/Seoul 1988	0	1: Windglider board/Los Angeles 1984	2	4
Durward Knowles	BAH	1: Star/Tokyo 1964	0	1: Star/Melbourne-Stockholm 1956	2	4
Wilhelm Kuhweide	GER	1: Finn/Tokyo 1964	0	1: Star/Munich 1972	2	4
Margriet Matthijsse	NED	0	2: Europe/Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000	0	2	4
Jonathan McKee	USA	1: Flying Dutchman/Los Angeles 1984	0	1: 49er/Sydney	2	4
Harry Melges	USA	1: Soling/Munich 1972	0	1: Flying Dutchman/Tokyo 1964	2	4
Niels Nielsen	NOR	0	2: 7m and 8m/Antwerp 1920	0	2	4
Lowell North	USA	1: Star/Mexico 1968	0	1: Dragon/Tokyo 1964	2	4
Thierry Peponnet	FRA	1: 470/Seoul 1988	0	1: 470/Los Angeles 1984	2	4
Luc Pillot	FRA	1: 470/Seoul 1988	0	1: 470/Los Angeles 1984	2	4
Hubert Raudaschl	AUS	0	2: Finn/Mexico 1968, Star/Moscow 1980	0	2	4
Henrik Robert	DEN	0	2: Olympic OD/Paris 1924, 12ft dinghy/Amsterdam 1928	0	2	4
Lauritz Schmidt	NOR	0	2: 8m/Antwerp 1920, Berlin 1936	0	2	4
Alessandra Sensini	ITA	1: Mistral/Sydney 2000	0	1: Mistral/Atlanta 1996	2	4
Randy Smyth	USA	0	2: Tornado/Los Angeles 1984, Barcelona 1992	0	2	4
Vilhelm Vett	DEN	0	2: 6m/Paris 1924/Amsterdam 1928	0	2	4
Ian Walker	GBR	0	2: 470/Atlanta 1996, Star/Sydney 2000	0	2	4
Andrei Balashov	USSR	0	1: Finn/Montreal 1976	1: Finn/Moscow 1980	2	3
William Berntsen	DEN	0	1: 5.5m/Rome 1960	1: Dragon/London 1948	2	3
Mitch Booth	AUS	0	1: Tornado/Atlantic 1996	1: Tornado/Barcelona 1992	2	3
Paul Borowski	GER	0	1: Dragon/Munich 1972	1: Dragon/Mexico 1968	2	3
Hans Marius Fogh	DEN	0	1: Flying Dutchman/Rome 1960	1: Soling/Los Angeles 1984	2	3
John Forbes	AUS	0	1: Tornado/Sydney 2000	1: Tornado/Barcelona 1992	2	3
Michael Gebhardt	USA	0	1: Lechner/Barcelona 1992	1: Div2 board/Seoul 1988	2	3
JJ Isler	USA	0	1: 470/Sydney 2000	1: 470/Barcelona 1992	2	3
Ullrich Libor	GER	0	1: Flying Dutchman/Mexico 1968	1: Flying Dutchman/Munich 1972	2	3
Peter Naumann	GER	0	1: Flying Dutchman/Mexico 1968	1: Flying Dutchman/Munich 1972	2	3
Andre Nelis	BEL	0	1: Finn/Melbourne-Sweden 1956	1: Finn/Rome 1960	2	3
Pelle Petterson	SWE	0	1: Star/Munich 1972	1: Star/Tokyo 1953	2	3
Erik Sandberg	SWE	0	1: 8m/London 1908	1: 6m/Stockholm /1912	2	3
Karl-Heinz Thun	GER	0	1: Dragon/Munich 1972	1: Dragon/Mexico 1968	2	3
Henri Weewauters	BEL	0	1: 6m/London 1908	1: 8m/Antwerp 1920	2	3
Konrad Weichert	GER	0	1: Dragon/Munich 1972	1: Dragon/Mexico 1968	2	3