Robert Scheidt: "Atlanta 1996 was a turning point in my life"

Robert Scheidt © ILCA

As part of ILCA's "30 Years of Olympic ILCA Sailing" series, we spoke with sailors who competed in the class's Olympic debut and reflected on what that experience means three decades on.

There is no more fitting way to mark 30 years since the ILCA class's Olympic debut than with the voice of the man who won the very first gold medal. On 31 July 1996, in Savannah, Georgia, Robert Scheidt of Brazil became the first Olympic champion in the history of the Laser class. Today, exactly three decades later, we are proud to share his reflection on that historic moment.

Scheidt 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 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?"

This interview is part of: 30 Years of Olympic ILCA Sailing. A celebration of the class's Olympic debut, featuring athletes who competed in the first Olympic ILCA (Laser) regatta and their reflections three decades on.