
At just 21 years of age Siren SUNDBY is an exceptional talent. She has taken the women's single-handed dinghy event by storm and fixed a firm grip on the Europe fleet. Siren began the nomination period by winning the 2003 ISAF World Championship, she successfully defended her World Championship title in July 2004 and capped it all with an Olympic gold medal in August. Siren never lost sight of the gold medal and claimed five bullets in the series to finish a clear 18 points ahead of her nearest rival.
Siren's dominance of the Europe class is reflected by her year long reign at the top of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and her clean sheet of first place finishes at all of the ISAF Graded Events she has entered.
ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2004) - 1
Current ISAF World Sailing Ranking (2 September 2004) - 1
1st - Olympic Sailing Competition, Grade W - August 04
1st - Europe Class World Championship, Grade W - July 04
1st - Europe Class Open Week, Grade 2 - July 04
1st - SPA Regatta, Grade 1 - May 04
1st - Semaine Olympique Française, Grade 1 - April 04
1st - XXXV Princess Sofia Trophy, Grade 2 - April 04
1st - ISAF World Championship, Grade W - September 2003
| Name |
Siren Sundby |
| Date of Birth |
30287 |
| Place of Birth |
Lørenskog, Norway |
| Profession |
Sailor |
| ISAF Sailor ID |
NORSS1 |
| Website |
www.powersailing.no |
| Age started sailing |
6 |
| First boat sailed |
Optimist |
| Age started racing |
10 |
| First boat raced |
Optimist |
| What inspired you to take up sailing? |
Sailing tradition in my fmaily |
| How did you buy your first boat? |
I got it from my big brother |
| Which was your first sailing club? |
Soon SF |
| First Event competed in and Year |
Optimist World Championship, 1995. |
| First Event won and Year |
Optimist European Championship in 1996 |
| Principle achievements |
1996 & 1997 Optimist Class European Champion |
| Principle achievements |
1997 - Girls World Champion & 10th overall - Optimist |
| Principle achievements |
1999, 2000 - Youth European Champion - Europe |
| Principle achievements |
2000 - Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Champion - Single-Handed Dinghy Girls - Byte |
| Principle achievements |
2002 - Europe Class World Championship - silver |
| Principle achievements |
2003 - Europe Class European Champion |
| Principle achievements |
2003 - Athens Regatta 2003 - Europe - gold |
| Principle achievements |
2003 - Europe Class World Champion |
| Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date |
Winning of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2003 |
| Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date |
Winning the Olympic Gold medal in Athens 2004 |
| What are your future sailing aspirations? |
Doing several Olympic campaigns and maybe the Volvo Ocean Race |
| Briefly state what sailing means to you |
For me sailing is not just a hobby, it's my life and lifestyle. |
| Who has had the greatest impact or inspiration in your sailing career and why? |
My brother. He has been my greatest sailing inspiration during my whole life. He has been motivating me, helping me and been my greatest model. |
| What other sports do you participate in outside of sailing? |
Skiing, both downhill and cross country and windsurfing. |
| Briefly state what being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2004 means to you. |
Being nominated for the second time is a great honour. It means a lot to me and it gives sailing a kick-off in Norway besides my gold medal. |
| If voted as the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2004, briefly say what will this mean to you? |
As above. It makes me happy when sailing in Norway gets more attention. And this kind of attention and this prize makes sailing greater and bigger in Norway. Maybe in Norway in some years we'll see that this has helped on the recruitment of young sailors. And that is important to me. |