Marit Bouwmeester: Making history

Shirley Robertson won consecutive gold medals at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, becoming the most successful female Olympic sailor. But she lost the title when fellow Brit Hannah Mills gained silver at London 2012 and gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. However, they both are now holding Marit Bouwmeester’s beer.

The Dutch sailor is best with a silver in London 2012, gold in Rio 2016, bronze in Tokyo 2020, and gold in Paris 2024.

After dominating the Women’s Dinghy event in Marseille, it’s all the more remarkable as she is also being the mother of two-year old daughter Jessie. Behind the scenes, it has been a massive effort between the family and the Dutch team to create the environment for Bouwmeester to continue to perform at the highest level.

Using provided equipment, competitors have the option to purchase their ILCA 6 after the Games. Would she be buying her gold-medal-winning boat? “I think it has already been bought because I’m setting up the Marit Bouwmeester Academy and I think they bought it for an auction so we can use it to raise money for the Academy.”

Now aged 36, professionally Bouwmeester is turning her attention to future generations. “We just try to get more kids into watersports, that’s my focus.”

As for any future Olympic plans, she is not certain but is eager to enjoy this one.

“It’s been enough for now and I’m going to go back to the family and get some rest. It’s been a tough campaign and I must say a big thank you to my family who supported me in this and gave me the opportunities. It’s a lot of travel and a lot of time being away.”

A particularly low moment came at the World Championships at the start of the year when Bouwmeester finished down in 11th overall.

“I think for me to be down in Argentina at the Worlds was the best thing that could have happened to me because I chose to keep grinding away. That’s when I thought, this is the biggest chance for me to win a gold medal, to be down now. When you have setbacks it’s always a moment of reflection, and you either have an opportunity to be the victim or to come back stronger.”

As for becoming the most successful female Olympic sailor in history, the achievement fulfills the bold promise of an ambitious teenager.

“It feels incredible because as a youngster, there was one time when my spot got taken away for somebody else because they said, ‘Oh, you’re not good enough, you’re too young, too light’. It was the Worlds in Fortaleza [Brazil] and I was 16 years old, and I said to them, ‘I’m going to be the best of all time’.”

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Source: World Sailing