IODA News

Martin Billoch, Optimist World champion 1974, and
Santiago Lange. Both went on to the Olympics.

  • OLYMPICS
  • Topic:
  • Aug 30, 2008
  • Date of Publication:

EX-OPTIMISTS AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS

Qingdao, China

85% of the skippers of the medal-winning Olympic boats in Qingdao were former Optimist sailors.

And 67% had participated in IODA world and continental championships.

63% of all 210 boat skippers were former Optimist sailors and 46% were former Optimist internationals

Detailed analysis of 2008

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  • OLYMPICS
  • Topic:
  • Aug 30, 2004
  • Date of Publication:

EX-OPTIMISTS SHINE IN THE 2004 OLYMPICS

Athens, Greece

74%of the skippers of the medal winning boats at the 2004 Olympics were former Optimist sailors.

And 80% of these had sailed in IODA World or continental championships.

This is more than double the percentage four years ago in Sydney. In the monohull dinghies all but three* of the skippers were ex-Optimist (two who started in the Cadet). This increase mostly reflects the increasing spread of the Optimist in the age group from which the medallists come. As older "pre-Optimist" sailors retire, their place is being taken by those who did have the opportunity to sail our little boat.

Statistics about the total number of Olympic boat-skippers have been harder to collect but it is known that at least 60% of them were ex-Optimists and almost 70% of these were former Optimist internationals.

The proportion is higher in the monohull dinghies, especially the double-handers, than in the Tornado or keelboats where the average age is notably more "pre-Optimist". Among these dinghies it is notable that while most Finn sailors did start in the Optimist relatively few had the chance to sail internationally before becoming too big for the boat! Ben Ainslie famously did, being 63kg at his final Worlds, but sailed anyway! In the Laser the percentage of ex-Optimists was reduced by the wild-card sailors, only one of whom had sailed Optimists.

Almost all the medallists were in their second or third Olympics. It is therefore promising that there were several young first-timers who achieved good results, most notably Shen Xiaoying (CHN), Victoria Kraviotis (GRE), Sven Coster (NED) and Nico Delle Karth (AUT), all of course former Optimist sailors.

See a detailed analysis of 2004 (PDF)

For a different perspective - what happens to Optimist sailors when they graduate from the Class - see www.optiworld.org/lowdropout.pdf

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  • OLYMPICS
  • Topic:
  • Aug 4, 2000
  • Date of Publication:

FORMER OPTIMISTS AT THE 2000 OLYMPICS

Sydney, Australia

At least 50% of all dinghy helms at the Sydney Olympics were former Optimist sailors.

at least70% of these sailed in Optimist world and continental championships.

This information:

  • helps to convince governments and National Olympic Councils to invest in junior sailing
  • disproves the myth that sailing is one of the sports where early success leads to "burn-out", lack of achievement in later life
  • provides motivation for all those who work for junior sailing

The following notes and the statitics about the medallists had been prepared by Robert Wilkes and last updated on 4/8/2000.

Statistical notes:

  • Age: Older sailors are less likely to have sailed Optimists. Over 65% of those aged under 30 did so. When Hans Wallen won the Optimist Worlds in 1976 there were only 19 countries present: when Siren Sundby was first girl in 1997 there were 41!
  • Eastern Europe: For most of the relevant period East European (including DDR) Optimist sailors did not travel abroad. Also, with the fragmentation of the USSR, information is difficult to obtain.
  • Weight: Finn sailors are generally heavier than the general population. Although many sailed Optimists they may have moved out of the Optimist for weight reasons before they could qualify for their national Optimist teams.
  • U.S.A. Former Optimist Worlds sailors were second in the Laser, 470W and Soling trials and third in the Europe.

Click here to see the analyisis of 2000 (PDF)

IODA congratulates the following who won Olympic medals in 2000:

GoldThomas Johanson (FIN - 49er)Optimist Worlds 1984.
GoldBen Ainslie (GBR - Laser)Optimist Worlds 1989-1992
GoldIain Percy (GBR - Finn)Optimist Europeans 1988-1990
GoldBelinda Stowell (AUS - 470W)
SilverMargriet Matthijsse (NED - Europe)Optimist Worlds 1991
SilverRobert Scheidt (BRA - Laser)Optimist Worlds 1986
SilverJochen Schümann (GER - Soling)
BronzeJavier Conte (ARG - 470)
BronzeJuan de la Fuente (ARG - 470)
BronzeRene Schwall (GER - Tor)
BronzeSerena Amato (ARG - Europe)
BronzeFrederik Lööf (SWE - Finn)Optimist Worlds 1983

and commiserates with Nick Rogers, 1996 Finn gold Matteus Kuznierewicz and former Optimist World Champion Serge Kats, all of whom came fourth.

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  • OLYMPICS
  • Topic:
  • Aug 4, 2000
  • Date of Publication:

FORMER MEDALLISTS

1996, 1992 and 1998

1996 former Optimist Olympic medallists were:

Olympics Optimist Worlds
Name Nat. Class Medal
Place
Year
Robert Scheidt BRA Laser Gold
42
1986
Ben Ainslie GBR Laser Silver
20
1992
Peer Moberg NOR Laser Bronze
-
-
Mateusz Kusnierewicz POL Finn Gold
Sebastien Godefroid BEL Finn Silver
63
1982
Kristine Roug DEN Europe Gold
-
-
Margriet Matthijsse NED Europe Silver
85
1991
Teresa Zabell ESP 470 W Gold
-
-
Yumiko Shige JPN 470 W Silver
-
-
Evgeniy Braslovec UKR 470 Gold
Champion of the USSR - 1985
Hugo Rocha POR 470 Bronze
75
1987
Fernando Leon ESP Tornado Gold
-
-
Hans Wallen SWE Star Silver
1
1976
Jochen Schümann GER Soling Gold
-
-
Georgiy Shayduka RUS Soling Silver
-
-

1992 and 1988 Olympic Medallists:

Gold
Finn: José Maria van der Ploeg (ESP) (1992)
Luis Doreste (ESP) (1988)
Europe: Linda Andersen (NOR)
470: Jordi Calafat & Francisco Sanchez(ESP)
470W: Theresa Zabell & Patricia Guerra (ESP) (1992)
Allison Jolly (USA) (1988)
Flying Dutchman: Luis Doreste & Domingo Manrique(ESP)
Tornado: Nicholas Henard (FRA)
Soling Jochen Schümann (GER) (1988)
Silver
Europe: Natalia Via Dufresne (ESP)
470: Morgan Reeser (USA)
Soling: (crew) James Brady (USA)
Bronze
Europe: Julia Trotman (USA)
Europe: Tonu & Tomas Tuniste (EST)

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