Windsurfing has been one of the Olympic sailing events at the Summer Olympics since 1984 for men and 1992 for women. All sailors use the same One Design boards, daggerboards, fins and sails. The equipment is chosen to allow racing in a wide range of sailing conditions, as during the Olympic Games events must take place as scheduled.
Multiple medal winners include Alessandra Sensini and Barbara Kendall and Nick Dempsey with three medals; and Bruce Kendall (brother of Barbara Kendall) and Dorian van Rijsselberghe and Michael Gebhardt and Nikolas kaklamanakis and Gal Fridman and CarlosEspinosa with two medals. See List of Olympic medalists in sailing by class. Olympic sailboarders are included in Category:Olympic sailors.
The iQFOiL Class is the Olympic Windsurfing discipline chosen to represent the sport at the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The iQFOiL board, equipped with a hydrofoil, is the centerpiece of this class. The hydrofoil creates lift as the windsurfer builds up speed, enabling them to fly above the water's surface, reaching incredible speeds and creating a dynamic spectacle for spectators.
As the current Olympic windsurfing class, iQFOiL embodies fairness and equality. It operates as a one design class, ensuring that all competitors use the same standardized equipment. This promotes fair competition and highlights the skill and tactics of the athletes rather than equipment advantages.
The iQFOiL Class collaborates with industry-leading partners like Starboard to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship. Together, they aim to protect the oceans, reduce carbon footprints, and support a greener future for the sport.
Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gained a popular following across Europe and North America by the late 1970s and had achieved significant global popularity by the 1980s. Windsurfing became an Olympic sport in 1984.
Gal Fridman is an Israeli windsurfer and Israel's first Olympic gold medalist. Fridman won a Bronze Medal in the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics, and his gold medal in the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. He is the first of two Israelis athlete to win two Olympic Medals, and the first Olympic Gold medalist in Israeli history. His first name, Gal, means "wave" in Hebrew.
Shahar Tzuberi is an Israeli windsurfer and Olympic bronze medalist, surfing in the "Neil Pryde" RS:X discipline. He is a nephew of Gad Tsobari, the 1972 Olympic wrestler who escaped from Arab terrorists during the Munich massacre. He is a three-time Olympian.
The Mistral One Design Class (MOD) is a one-design windsurfing class chosen by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) for use at the Olympic regatta in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Starting with the 2008 Summer Olympics it was replaced by the RS:X class, which will be replaced by the iQFoil class for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Lechner A-390 was an Olympic Class windsurf board for the 1992 Olympics. It was only raced at the Games that year.
RS:X is a windsurfing class selected by the ISAF to replace the Mistral One Design Class for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The discipline has similarities to Formula Windsurfing - mainly in that the equipment used was designed to allow windsurfing in low and moderate wind conditions with good performance.
Irina Emilova Konstantinova-Bontemps is a Bulgarian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented Bulgaria in four editions of the Olympic Games, and has also placed outside the top ten in both Mistral and RS:X classes. In 2006, Konstantinova married French windsurfer, two-time world champion, and later 2008 Olympic silver medalist Julien Bontemps before she relocated to France, and trained for ASPTT Nantes. As of September 2013, Konstantinova is ranked no. 88 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Angeliki "Gelly" Skarlatou is a Greek windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. She represented Greece in four editions of the Olympic Games, and has earned numerous national and sporting titles, including gold medals at the Eurolymp Week, during her career. As of September 2013, she is ranked no. 40 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Sigrid Rondelez is a Belgian windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. She represented Belgium in three editions of the Olympic Games, and was a top eight finalist at the 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cadiz, Spain. Before her sporting career ended in 2012, Rondelez trained for Side Shore Surfers Club in De Panne under her head coach, former Dutch windsurfer, and 2008 Olympian Casper Bouman.
Charline Picon is a French windsurfer who specialized in the Neil Pryde RS:X class. She captured two bronze medals in her respective class at the Windsurfing World Championships, and an Olympic title at the 2016 Summer Olympics after attaining a top ten finish at the 2012 Summer Olympics. As of September 2014, Picon is ranked as one of the top ten sailors in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the European and World Championships and at the Sailing World Cup series.
Hayley Victoria Chan is a Hong Kong windsurfer, who specialised in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She captured a silver medal in windsurfing at the 2010 Asian Games, and later represented Hong Kong at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chan trains for the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong under her personal coach Chan Hai Shun. As of September 2013, Chan is ranked fourth in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the One World Championships in Boracay, Philippines and at the World Championships in Buzios, Brazil.
Diána Klaudia Detre is a Hungarian windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. A two-time Olympian, she has been currently training for Balatonfuredi Yacht Club in Balatonfüred under her coach Christophe Boutet. Detre also came from a traditional pedigree of top-class sailors, as her father Szabolcs Detre, along with his twin brother and daughter's uncle Zsolt Detre, captured a bronze medal in the Flying Dutchman at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. As of September 2013, Detre is ranked no. 79 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Áron Gádorfalvi is a Hungarian windsurfer, who specializes in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. He represented Hungary in all five editions of the Olympic Games since 1996, and has been training at Axon SE, Gradus SK, and Balatonfuredi Yacht Club in Balatonfured for most of his sporting career under personal coaches Lorand Utassy and László Ficsór. As of September 2013, Gádorfalvi is ranked no. 48 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Carolina Souza Mendelblatt is a Brazilian-born Portuguese windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. She graduated with a BA (Hons)at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication and worked as a broadcaster in London, U.K. She represented Brazil at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and had been training with the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club for most of her career before joining the Portuguese squad in 2012. As of September 2013, Mendelblatt is ranked no. 91 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Daniel Alejandro Flores Peréz is a Venezuelan windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. He represented Venezuela at the 2012 Summer Olympics and has also been training for Cumaná Windsurf Club under his personal coach and mentor Juan Manuel Moreno. As of September 2013, Flores is ranked no. 31 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Vita Matīse is a Latvian windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral One Design, Neil Pryde RS:X, and raceboarding classes. She represented Latvia in two editions of the Olympic Games, and has also placed outside the top ten in both Mistral and RS:X classes. In 2013, Matise returned to the sport from her nine-year hiatus and had changed her strategic game plan by delivering an impressive performance and her first ever trophy at the inaugural Raceboard World Championships in Pavlov, Czech Republic. As of May 2014, Matise is ranked no. 35 in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation.
Demita Vega de Lille is a Mexican windsurfer, who specialized in Neil Pryde RS:X class. She represented her nation Mexico at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later picked up a silver medal in windsurfing at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. As of September 2014, Vega is ranked seventh in the world for the sailboard class by the International Sailing Federation, following her successes at the North American and ISAF World Championships.
Carlos Julio Flores Pérez is a Venezuelan former windsurfer, who specializes in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. He represented his country Venezuela in two editions of the Summer Olympic Games, finishing in the top thirty respectively in two different sailboards. A member of Centro de Vela Ligera in Anzoategui, along with his younger brother and eventual two-time Olympian Daniel, Flores trained for the country's sailing federation under the tutelage of his personal coach Christian Larte.
Antonia-Athina Frai is a Greek former windsurfer, who specialized in Mistral and Neil Pryde RS:X classes. She picked up a bronze medal at the inaugural RS:X Europeans in 2006 and also represented her country Greece in two editions of the Summer Olympic Games, finishing in the fifteenth position each, respectively. A member of Tzitzifies Kallithea Yacht Club, Frai trained most of her competitive sporting career under the tutelage of her personal coach Panagiotis Bizios.
iQFoil is a windsurfing class selected by World Sailing to replace the RS:X for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The discipline has similarities to Formula Windsurfing, however a notable difference is that sailors only use one sail. The sail size is 9m² for the men and 8m² for the women. The rider has a choice between using a hydrofoil or a conventional 68 cm fin.