Lars Grael

Lars Grael
Medal record
Men's Sailing
Representing  Brazil
Olympic Games
1988 Seoul Tornado
1996 Atlanta Tornado
World Championships
1981 Long Beach, USA Snipe
1983 Porto, Portugal Snipe
2009 Varberg, Sweden Star
2015 Buenos Aires, Argentina Star
2017 Troense, Denmark Star

Lars Schmidt Grael (born February 9, 1964, in São Paulo) is a Brazilian politician and former professional sailor, having won two Olympic bronze medals (in 1988 and 1996).

His brother, Torben Grael, is also a sailor. Together they won the 1983 Snipe World Championship. Another brother, Axel Grael, is the current mayor of Niterói.[1]

Lars is also ten-time Brazilian and five-time South American champion for the Tornado class, in which he also won his medals, eight years apart, in the Seoul and Atlanta Summer Olympics, alongside Clinio Freitas and Henrique Pellicano, respectively.[2]

In September 1998, he had a serious accident in Vitória, Espírito Santo, caused by the negligence of a boat driver that left the boat propeller uncovered, which amputated one of the athlete's legs. Grael then gradually began to take a role to promote the sport in politics.[3]

References

  1. ^ Carvalho, João Antonio. "Lars Grael - Que fim levou?". Terceiro Tempo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  2. ^ "Lars Grael conquista título mundial de Star ao lado de Samuel Gonçalves". Jornal Nacional (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 9, 2015. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  3. ^ Silva, Célio (September 6, 2010). "Há 12 anos, iatista Lars Grael sobreviveu a acidente no mar". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-09-18.