The wind posed its challenges throughout the Games, but sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics was ultimately a success. 

The mixed two-person dinghy event made its Olympic debut in Paris, along with kiteboarding and iQFoil.

Here's a look back at all the action, from highlights to medal results and everything in between.

FULL EVENT REPLAYS: SAILING
RESULTS: SAILING

The women’s skiff race in the 49erFX class ended in dramatic fashion. Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz from the Netherlands clinched gold, Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler from Sweden secured silver, and Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon from France took bronze.

The Dutch team got off to a strong start and displayed impressive upwind speed, leading slightly at the first mark. The Americans were also performing well, rounding the first mark in fourth and the second mark in second. By the final mark before the finish, the Dutch were a length ahead of the U.S., with Sweden in third and France in seventh. It seemed like a straightforward finish: a short sprint to the line would secure gold for the Dutch and move the U.S. up the standings.

However, both the Dutch and Americans mistakenly thought they had crossed the finish line when they actually had 200 more yards to go. The Dutch misread the course, and the Americans followed their lead. Meanwhile, the Swedish crew correctly identified the finish line and sailed straight to victory. The Americans, not realizing their error, took down their spinnaker and stopped racing. The Dutch, belatedly recognizing their mistake, raced back to cross the line in third. The French finished sixth and believed they had won gold, while the Dutch team was devastated, thinking they had lost due to their mistake. The Americans were left perplexed.

The situation took a turn when the Dutch coach boat approached van Aanholt and Duetz, informing them through their tears that they had actually won gold. In disbelief, Duetz asked in English, “We won the gold?” After a stunned silence, the two sailors erupted with joy upon realizing the wonderful news.

American sailors Ian Barrows and Hans Henken leave the Games with a bronze medal — the only medal for Team USA in sailing. 

Barrows and Henken, distinguished All-American intercollegiate sailors from Yale and Stanford, excelled in precise boat handling under tight conditions. Their extensive experience in close racing proved invaluable in the biggest race of their careers. At the third mark, which concluded the windward leg, Barrows faced a split-second decision: whether to tack ahead of a swiftly approaching Swiss boat or to duck behind and risk losing a crucial position to avoid a potential foul. It was a high-stakes call.

Barrows chose to tack. The Swiss team protested, arguing that the maneuver was too close, but the on-the-water umpires quickly judged it to be legal, allowing the race to proceed. On the downwind leg, the Swiss team aggressively tried to block the American sails, potentially turning it into a grudge match after being outmaneuvered. For Barrows and Henken, it was frustrating to contend for clear air while also aiming to finish ahead of Ireland to secure the bronze medal.

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands clinched the gold medal in the women's dinghy, solidifying her position as the most successful woman in Olympic sailing with an unbeatable lead going into the medal race. It was Bouwmeester's fourth Olympic medal in as many Games. 

Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom, Bouwmeester’s nearest competitor in the Mediterranean waters of Marseille, effectively secured the silver medal, adding to the gold she won in 2021.

On the women's side, Great Britain's Eleanor Aldridge won Olympic kiteboarding's first-ever gold, with France's Lauriane Nolot securing silver and Annelous Lammerts of the Netherlands taking bronze in the women's event.

American Daniela Moroz finished fourth in the first-to-three final, as the medal favorite and No. 1-ranked sailor in the world was surprisingly kept off the podium.

After light winds early resulted in postponed races for the 12th time in 13 days, it was 23-year-old Austrian Valentin Bontus who claimed the first gold medal in men's Olympic kiteboarding. Slovenia's Toni Vodisek won silver and Singapore's Max Maeder took bronze.