Nick Dempsey

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Nick Dempsey
Personal information
Birth nameNicholas Charles Dempsey
NicknameDempo [1]
NationalityBritish
Born (1980-08-13) 13 August 1980 (age 44)
Norwich, England [2]
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb) [3]
Sport
CountryUnited Kingdom
Sport Windsurfing
EventMen's RS:X class
Coached byDom Tidey
Medal record
Men's sailing
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2016 Rio de Janeiro RS:X
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2012 London RS:X
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Athens Mistral

Nicholas Charles Dempsey [4] (born 13 August 1980 in Norwich) is a retired British windsurfer, who lives in Poole, Dorset. He became the first man to win three Olympics medals in windsurfing when he won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, adding to a silver won in the 2012 London Olympics, and a bronze from the 2004 Athens Olympics. [5] He is also twice world champion, winning gold in 2009 and 2013. [6]

Contents

Career

Dempsey booked his first international success at the 1998 Mistral Youth World Championships, where he won the bronze medal. As a senior his first win was clinched at the North Sea Cup Series in Pevensey Bay, and an additional third place in the Kiel Week.

During the 2000 Summer Olympics he finished in 16th position. He continued winning competitions in 2001 and beyond like Athens Eurolymp Week, Kieler Woche and the Spa Regatta before finishing third at the 2004 Summer Olympics to take the windsurfing bronze medal.

When switching to the RS:X class he won race after race, resulting in the first spot on the RS:X world rankings. He took the gold medal at the 2006 RS:X European Championships. At the 2006 RS:X World Championships he finished in 5th position.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics he came 4th in the RS:X Class windsurfing class with 60 points. He was 2 points behind Israeli bronze medalist Shahar Tzuberi.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Dempsey won the silver medal in the RS:X Class windsurfing class, behind Dorian van Rijsselberge of the Netherlands. [7]

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Dempsey again won the silver in the RS:X Class, again behind van Rijsselberge. With three medals won in the Olympics, he became the most decorated men's Olympic windsurfer. [8]

In 2017, Nick was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Chichester. [9]

Personal life

Dempsey was married to yachtswoman Sarah Ayton from 2008 to 2012 with whom he has two sons [10] He later married yachtswoman Hannah Mills with whom he has a daughter. [11]

Achievements

YearPositionWindsurfing classEvent
Olympic Games
2016 Silver medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer 2016 Olympic Games – Men's sailboard Rio de Janeiro Flag of Brazil.svg
2012 Silver medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer 2012 Olympic Games – Men's sailboard Portland Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
20084.RS:X – Men's Windsurfer 2008 Olympic Games – Men's sailboard Qingdoa Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
2004 Bronze medal with cup.svg Mistral – Men 2004 Summer Olympics Athens Flag of Greece.svg
200016.Mistral – Men 2000 Summer Olympics Sydney Flag of Australia (converted).svg
World Championships
20164RS:X - Male2016 RS:X World Championships
201513RS:X - Male2015 RS:X World Championships
20145RS:X - Male 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships
2013 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer2013 RS:X World Championships BúziosFlag of Brazil.svg  Brazil [12]
2012 Silver medal with cup.svg RS:X - Male2012 RS:X World Championships
201113RS:X - MalePerth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships
20109RS:X - Male2010 RS:X World Championships
2009 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer2009 RS:X World Championships Weymouth and PortlandFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
20086RS:X - Male2008 RS:X World Championships
2007 Bronze medal with cup.svg RS:X - Male 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships
20065RS:X - Male2006 RS:X World Championships
20057Raceboard Men2005 Raceboard World Championships
20036Mistral Men 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships
20027Mistral Men2002 Mistral World Championship
20018Mistral Men Mistral World Championships
200023Mistral MenIMCO Mistral World Championships
199924Mistral Men Mistral World Championships
199826Mistral MenIMCO Mistral World Championships
1998 Bronze medal with cup.svg Mistral – Men1998 Mistral Youth World Championships Flag of South Africa.svg
199723Mistral - JuniorsJnr, Yth & Masters Mistral World Championships Mistral Men
1998 Bronze medal with cup.svg MistralISAF Youth Sailing World Championships
19968Aloha - Junior Male1996 Aloha World Championships
Others
2015 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer2015 Sailing World CupWeymouth and PortlandFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2006 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer2006 RS:X European Championships Flag of Turkey.svg
2006 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's WindsurferHolland Regatta Flag of the Netherlands.svg
2006 Silver medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's Windsurfer Semaine Olympique Française Flag of France.svg
2006 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's WindsurferHRH Princess Sofia Trophy Flag of Spain.svg
2006 Gold medal with cup.svg RS:X – Men's WindsurferRolex Miami OCR Flag of the United States.svg
2003 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenSaronikos Gulf Regatta Flag of Greece.svg
2003 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenXXXIV Princess Sofia Trophy Flag of Spain.svg
2003 Silver medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenAthens Eurolymp Week Flag of Greece.svg
2002 Silver medal with cup.svg Mistral – Men Kieler Woche Flag of Germany.svg
2002 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenNorth Sea Cup SeriesHerne Bay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
2002 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenSpa Regatta Flag of the Netherlands.svg
2002 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenSail Auckland Flag of New Zealand.svg
2002 Silver medal with cup.svg Mistral – Men Sail Melbourne Flag of Australia (converted).svg
2001 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenKieler Woche Flag of Germany.svg
2001 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenXXXII Princess Sofia Trophy Flag of Spain.svg
2001 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenAthens Eurolymp Week Flag of Greece.svg
2000 Bronze medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenKieler Woche Flag of Germany.svg
2000 Gold medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenNorth Sea Cup SeriesPevensey Bay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
2000 Silver medal with cup.svg Mistral – MenPenta Mistral Cup Flag of Egypt.svg

References

  1. "Sailor Biography: Nick Dempsey". World Sailing.
  2. "Nick Dempsey – Windsurfing". Olympics 30. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  3. "Nick Dempsey". BBC Sport.
  4. GRO reference: September 1980, Vol. 10, Page 59389/S
  5. "Rio Olympics 2016: Nick Dempsey wins historic windsurfing silver medal in RS:X". BBC Sport. 15 August 2016.
  6. "Nick Dempsey". RYA.
  7. Morris, Steven (7 August 2012). "London 2012: Great Britain's Nick Dempsey wins windsurfing silver medal". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  8. "Nick Dempsey brings windsurfing career to an end with silver medal at Rio Olympics 2016". The Daily Telegraph. 14 August 2016.
  9. "Honorary Awards". University of Chichester. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  10. Kidd, Patrick (8 August 2012). "Sacrifice that brought a family silver". The Times.
  11. Cary, Tom. "'My arms were spinning furiously': Hannah Mills helps grind Great Britain to SailGP victory". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. "2013 RS:X WORLD WINDSURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS" (PDF). International RS:X Class Association.