World Sailing President Kim Andersen pays tribute to Paul Elvstrom

The Sailing world is truly saddened to hear of the passing of Paul Elvstrøm. As a Dane and a sailing enthusiast, he was a great inspiration to me. Paul was a fierce competitor and astonishing athlete, taking training levels to new heights and, as the winner of four Olympic gold medals, his success is a testament to the importance of dedication and hard work.

Known as the Great Dane or the Mozart of Sailing, his contributions to our sport have paved the way forward for so many generations of sailors.  Paul was a ground-breaking pioneer who redefined our sport with new equipment, design and training methods – many of these inventions are the standard of sailing today.
 
Such success should, however, not overshadow his sense of sportsmanship, being both a gracious winner and loser, often providing advice and insight to his competitors. As he famously said, ‘you haven’t won the race if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors’. This should forever be remembered by the sailing community and the wider sporting world alike.
 
May he rest in peace and may his legacy live on forever.
 
Kim Andersen
President
World Sailing