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Robert Scheidt

Robert Scheidt
Scheidt robert sac.jpg
Scheidt in 2004
Personal information
Nationality  Brazil
Born (1973-04-15) 15 April 1973 (age 43)
São Paulo, São Paulo
Sailing career
Class(es) Laser, Star

Robert Scheidt (born April 15, 1973) is a Brazilian sailor, who has won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze from five Olympic Games and a Star Sailors League Final. He is one of the most successful sailors at Olympic Games and one of the most successful Brazilian Olympic athletes, being the only one with five medals along with fellow sailor Torben Grael.

Born in São Paulo, his father gave him his first boat when he was nine, and Robert began practising in the Guarapiranga dam. With the help of Dudu Melchert, his coach, he began winning several competitions.

At the age of 11, Scheidt became the South American Champion in the Optimist Class, in Algarrobo, Chile, in 1985 and again in 1986. Because of his wins, he was chosen to represent Brazil in the Optimist World Championship in 1986. This was the turning point of his career and made him decide to quit tennis and focus on sailing.

Because his weight and height exceeded the Optimist recommendations, he began sailing in the Snipe Class, and was second at the 1989 Brazilian Snipe Junior Championship, and champion in 1990, 1991 and 1992. In 1990, he also began sailing in the Lasers and became Brazilian junior champion and was called to represent Brazil in the Junior World Championships, held in Netherlands. Following this championship, he trained in Denmark and Sweden and participated for the first time in the Kiel Week (Kieler Woche). In 1991, he sailed a good and consistent regatta, won 10 out of the 11 races, and became Laser Junior World Champion, in Scotland.

In 1995, he won the gold medal in the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, and his first World Championship. In the following year, he graduated at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Business Administration. In this year, 1996, his greatest achievement: after a thrilling and controversial duel with Ben Ainslie (19, UK), he took the Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta, in the Laser Class. He also won in 1996 the World Championship, held in Cape Town, South Africa and again in 1997, in Algarrobo, Chile.


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Wikipedia

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