Date | 31 July – 8 August 1984 | |
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Status | Olympic | |
Location | Long Beach Marina, Long Beach, California (Delta Course) | |
Participants | 66 from 22 countries | |
Format | Points awarded for placement in each race. Best six of seven scores to count for final placement. |
The US boat easily won the gold medal in Soling. They were consistent with no bad races, although winning only two races, but that was enough to put them so far in front that they did not have to start the final race to win the gold medal. American crew member Rod Davis was competing in the first of his four Olympics and would win a silver medal in the Star class in 1992, but he raced for New Zealand at his next three Olympics, after moving there to help with their America’s Cup campaigns.
Brazilian silver medal winning skipper Torben Grael was competing in his first Olympics. He would compete at six consecutive Games (1984-2004), winning five Olympic medals, including two golds in the Star class in 1996 and 2004. Grael was the first sailor to win five Olympic medals, a mark matched in 2012 by Britain’s Ben Ainslie and Grael’s countryman Robert Scheidt.
Canadian bronze medal skipper Hans Fogh was competing in his sixth Olympics. His bronze was his second Olympic medal after winning silver in Flying Dutchman back in 1960. Fogh competed for Denmark at the 1960-72 Olympics but for Canada in 1976 and 1984. Fogh emigrated to Canada to set up a division of Elvstrom Sailmakers, a company set up by Danish sailing hero Paul Elvstrøm, who won four consecutive gold medals in the one-person dinghy from 1948-60.