Olympic Games 2024: Everything about the sailing competitions in the big YACHT special
YACHT-Redaktion
· 22.07.2024
To the YACHT live ticker
As the leading German-language sailing portal, YACHT online has a correspondent on site who will provide immediate results, experiences and anecdotes from the Olympic Games in this live ticker.
Win a great prize
During Kiel Week 2024, all the Olympic starters gathered in Kiel Schilksee. YACHT took the opportunity to ask them all for an autograph. On a YACHT flag, where else? We are giving away this unique piece. All you have to do is answer one question.
Follow the races live
We will be reporting daily on YACHT online directly from Marseille on how the favourites and Team Germany will fare. ARD and ZDF are also keeping an eye on Olympic sailing. Their teams will be commentating on the live pictures from the Mainz headquarters. Nils Kaben and Tobias Schadewaldt are on duty for ZDF. ARD has brought the 49er FX silver medallist from Japan on board to join Peter Carstens with co-commentator Susann Beucke.
The German sailors
What's possible for the national sailors at the Olympics? DOSB President Thomas Weikert was not shy about his goal during his visit to Kieler Woche a few weeks before the start of the Games: "We won three medals in sailing last time. I don't want to put anyone under pressure, but maybe that's the goal (again)?" 14 German sailors, kiters and surfers are looking forward to the Games of their lives. The bay of Marseille is the Olympic stage on which they want to shine in all ten sailing competitions.
The Olympic disciplines
50 per cent of the ten sailing competitions are new. As the oldest active Olympic class, the 470 will be sailed by mixed crews for the first time. In both the men's and women's iQFoils, the windsurfers have switched to foiling boards, just as they are used by the new Olympic kiters in kite tying. As a result, the range of sailing disciplines under the five rings has become more versatile and faster than ever, despite the reduction in classic sailing.
The Olympic precinct
The organisers envisage four courses: The two main courses "Corniche" and "Marseille" are positioned close to land, with "Frioul" and "Calanques" further out. The latter are hardly considered in the pre-allocation, but will come into play more if the wind weakens close to land. As an extra, there will be a marathon course for the iQFoil fields, which will include the entire bay. The athletes have mixed feelings about these rides, which are only planned for the windsurfers. What should be a spectacle for the spectators will challenge the athletes to the maximum as they "fly blind" to the next mark. And the area has even more surprises in store.
The favourites
Only three countries have won the right to participate in all Olympic sailing disciplines in the battle for the scarce Olympic starting places: the French hosts, the British record medallists and the German sailing team. America, China, Spain and Italy have each won nine starting places. Several Olympic champions will be competing in the home waters of the strong Les Bleus and would love to rake in more gold. And what chances do the Germans have?
