Paul Elvstrøm

Paul Elvstrøm
Elvstrøm c. 1972
Personal information
Full namePaul Bert Elvstrøm
NationalityDanish
Born(1928-02-25)25 February 1928
Hellerup, Denmark
Died7 December 2016(2016-12-07) (aged 88)
Hellerup, Denmark
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
SportSailing
Retired1988
Sailing career
Class(es)5.5 Metre, 505, Finn, Firefly, Flying Dutchman, Snipe, Soling, Star, Tornado
ClubHellerup Sejlklub, Gentofte
Medal record
Sailing
Representing  Denmark
International athletics competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 4 0 0
World Championships 13 2 2
Total 17 2 2
Olympic Games
1948 London Firefly class
1952 Helsinki Finn class
1956 Melbourne Finn class
1960 Rome Finn class
World Championships
1957 La Baule 505 class
1958 La Baule 505 class
1958 Zeebrugge Finn class
1959 Copenhagen Finn class
1959 Porto Alegre Snipe class
1962 St. Petersburg Flying Dutchman class
1966 Copenhagen 5.5 metres class
1966 Kiel Star class
1967 Copenhagen Star class
1969 Copenhagen Soling class
1972 Marstrand Half Ton class
1974 Sydney Soling class
1981 Poole Half Ton class
1956 Burnham Finn class
1969 San Diego Star class
1971 New York Soling class
1985 Travemünde Tornado class

Paul Bert Elvstrøm (25 February 1928 – 7 December 2016) was a Danish yachtsman and the founder of Elvstrøm Sails. He won four Olympic gold medals and thirteen world titles in a range of classes including Snipe, Soling, Star, Flying Dutchman, Finn, 505, and 5.5 Metre. For his achievements, Elvstrøm was chosen as "Danish Sportsman of the Century."