Thirty years later: Robert Scheidt

To celebrate the 30th anniversary for the ILCA making its Olympic debut at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, the Class organization is sharing stories from Olympic ILCA sailors. In this edition, the class highlights Robert Scheidt of Brazil who was the first Olympic champion in the history of the Laser class.

He arrived at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games as one of the most promising young sailors in the world. Born in São Paulo, he had become Laser Junior World Champion in 1991, winning ten out of eleven races, and had claimed his first Senior World Championship title in 1995. He was 23 years old when the Games began.

What followed in Savannah was one of the most memorable finales in Olympic sailing history. Scheidt fought off a defining duel against Ben Ainslie to decide the top two spots on the final race of the Laser class — a battle that would become one of the most talked-about moments in the sport’s Olympic history. Scheidt took gold.

Atlanta 1996 was the beginning of an extraordinary Olympic career for Scheidt that would span seven Games and three decades. He went on to win two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze from five Olympic Games, competing in both the Laser and Star classes and becoming widely regarded as one of the greatest sailors of all time. He has also won 12 World Championship gold medals across his career.

Reflecting on Atlanta 1996, Scheidt shares: “What does Atlanta 1996 mean to you 30 years later?”