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Paul Elvstrøm

Paul Elvstrøm

Elvstrøm at the 1960 Olympics

Elvstrøm at the 1960 Olympics

Elvstrøm at the 1960 Olympics

Elvstrøm at the 1960 Olympics

Paul Bert Elvstrøm (25 February 1928 – 7 December 2016) was a Danish yachtsman. He won four Olympic gold medals and eleven world titles in eight different types of boat, including Snipe, Soling, Star, Flying Dutchman and Finn.

Paul Elvstrøm
Personal information
Full namePaul Bert Elvstrøm
NationalityDanish
Born(1928-02-25)25 February 1928
Hellerup, Denmark[1]
Died7 December 2016(2016-12-07)(aged 88)
Hellerup, Denmark[2]
Height1.82 m (5 ft1112 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sailing career
Class(es)5.5 Metre, 505, Finn, Firefly, Flying Dutchman, Snipe, Soling, Star, Tornado
ClubHellerup Sejlklub, Gentofte

Biography

Elvstrøm competed in eight Olympic Games from 1948 to 1988, being one of only six persons ever (the others are sailor Ben Ainslie, swimmer Michael Phelps, wrestler Kaori Icho, and athletes Carl Lewis in the long jump and Al Oerter in the discus) to win four consecutive individual gold medals (1948–60), first time in a Firefly, subsequently in Finns.[3] In his last two Olympic games he sailed the Tornado Catamaran class, which, in those days, was normally sailed by two young men, with his daughter Trine Elvstrøm as forward hand.[4]

He is one of only four athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years, along with fencer Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier, sailor Magnus Konow, and sailor Durward Knowles.[5]

Elvstrøm was also noted as a developer of sails and sailing equipment. One of his most successful innovations was a new type of self-bailer. The design is still in production under the Andersen brand and has been widely copied. The new features were a wedge shaped venturi that closes automatically if the boat grounds or hits an obstruction, and a flap that acts as a non return valve to minimise water coming in if the boat is stationary or moving too slowly for the device to work. Previous automatic bailers would be damaged or destroyed if they met an obstruction, and would let considerable amounts of water in if the boat was moving too slowly.

Elvstrøm was a very early innovator in training techniques. For example, he used the technique of 'sitting out' or hiking using toe-straps to a greater degree than previously, getting all his body weight from the knees upwards outside the boat, thus providing extra leverage to enable the boat to remain level in stronger winds and hence go faster than his competitors. This technique required great strength and fitness, so Elvstrøm built a training bench with toe-straps in his garage to replicate the sitting-out position in his dinghy. He then proceeded to spend many training hours on dry land sitting out on the bench at home.

He also popularised the kicking strap, or boom vang (US). This may take the form of a block and tackle linking a low point on the mast (or an equivalent point on the hull) and the boom close to the mast, which allows the boom to be let out when reaching or running without lifting. This controls the twist of the mainsail from its foot to its head, increasing the sail's power and the boat's speed and controlability. Elvstrøm did not advertise his new invention, leaving his competitors mystified at his superior boat-speed. Investigation of his dinghy revealed nothing as he used to remove the kicking strap before coming ashore.

He established a manufacturing company whose products included masts, booms, and sails. He has also been instrumental in developing several international yacht racing rules.

Among the innovative concepts he brought to sailboat racing was the concept of gates instead of a single windward or leeward mark in large regattas. The leeward gate on a windward-leeward course is commonly used. The windward gate is less often used due to the difficulties in managing right-of-way around the right gate, the subtleties of which are understood mostly by match racers.[6]

In 1996, Elvstrøm was chosen as "Danish Sportsman of the Century."[7]

In 2007, Elvstrøm was among the first six inductees into the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame.[8] He died on 7 December 2016 at the age of 88,[9] after battling Alzheimers for a few years.

Achievements

Elvstrøm won medals at the world championships in eight sailing classes: Finn, 505, Snipe, Flying Dutchman, 5.5 Metre, Star, Soling and Tornado.

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
1956Finn World ChampionshipsUnited KingdomBurnham-on-Crouch2ndFinn[10]
1957505 World ChampionshipsFranceLa Baule-Escoublac1st505[11]
1958505 World ChampionshipsFranceLa Baule-Escoublac1st505[11]
Finn World ChampionshipsBelgiumZeebrugge1stFinn[10]
1959Finn World ChampionshipsDenmarkCopenhagen1stFinn[10]
Snipe World ChampionshipBrazilPorto Alegre1stSnipe[11]
1962Flying Dutchman World ChampionshipsUnited StatesSt. Petersburg1stFlying Dutchman[11]
19665.5 Metre World ChampionshipsDenmarkCopenhagen1st5.5 metres
Star World ChampionshipsGermanyKiel1stStar[11]
1967Star World ChampionshipsDenmarkCopenhagen1stStar[11]
1969Soling World ChampionshipsDenmarkCopenhagen1stSoling[11]
Star World ChampionshipsUnited StatesSan Diego2ndStar[11]
1971Soling World ChampionshipsUnited StatesNew York3rdSoling
1974Soling World ChampionshipsAustraliaSydney1stSoling[11]
1985Tornado World ChampionshipsGermanyTravemünde3rdTornado[11]

References

[1]
Citation Linkwww.sailingscuttlebutt.com"Eight Bells: Paul Elvstrom". Retrieved 8 December 2016.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[2]
Citation Linkwww.b.dk"Han vandt fire OL-guldmedaljer: Sejleren Paul Elvstrøm er død" (in Danish). Berlingske Tidende. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.olympic.org"International Olympic Committee – Athletes". Retrieved 13 August 2008.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[4]
Citation Linkwww.sports-reference.comEvans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Paul Elvstrøm". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Invalid |url-status=yes (help)
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[5]
Citation Linkbooks.google.comGlenday, Craig (29 November 2018). "Guinness World Records 2012". Bantam Books – via Google Books.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[6]
Citation Linkwww.sailingscuttlebutt.com"Scuttlebutt: Archived Newsletters". Retrieved 13 August 2008.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[7]
Citation Linkdenmark.dkAlbrechtsen, Karin; Leksikon, Gyldendal. "Paul Elvstrøm". Denmark.dk. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.sailing.org"ISAF Hall of Fame : Paul Elvström". Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008. Cite uses deprecated parameter |deadurl= (help)
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.dr.dkAndersen, Jens. "Paul Elvstrøm er død". dr.dk (in Danish). DR. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[10]
Citation Linkwww.the-sports.org"Finn World Championships". the-sports.org. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[11]
Citation Linkwww.sailing.org"Paul Elvstrøm – Results". sailing.org. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[12]
Citation Linkmembers.sailing.orgPaul Elvstrøm
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[13]
Citation Linkwww.sailingscuttlebutt.com"Eight Bells: Paul Elvstrom"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[14]
Citation Linkwww.b.dk"Han vandt fire OL-guldmedaljer: Sejleren Paul Elvstrøm er død"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[15]
Citation Linkwww.olympic.org"International Olympic Committee – Athletes"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[16]
Citation Linkweb.archive.org"Paul Elvstrøm"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[17]
Citation Linkwww.sports-reference.comthe original
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[18]
Citation Linkbooks.google.com"Guinness World Records 2012"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[19]
Citation Linkwww.sailingscuttlebutt.com"Scuttlebutt: Archived Newsletters"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM
[20]
Citation Linkdenmark.dk"Paul Elvstrøm"
Sep 21, 2019, 3:45 AM