Elena Lengwiler made her Olympics dreams come true at the Kite World Championships in Hyères, foiling to an outstanding 6th place and thus securing her ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris. The 27-year-old from St. Gallen, who moved to windy Lake Walen for better training conditions, will represent Switzerland and the Gstaad Yacht Club in the Women’s Formula Kite class. The highly motivated kiter has set herself a clear goal: “At least a top 8 place for a diploma,” is her motto. With a degree in business administration and specialization in sports management, she has learned to think long-term. So she’s already planning for the 2028 Olympics, where she hopes to medal.

GYC’s Olympic Success Part of a Long-term Plan
GYC is also pursuing a far-sighted strategy. With its GYC Racing Team, 20 years ago it laid the foundation for a consistent sporting successes. Its athletes have taken part in six Olympic Games in as many as three disciplines. In London 2012, three of the four Swiss teams were from the GYC. By Tokyo 2020, GYC athletes had participated in the Olympic Games five times in a row. Matías Bühler and Nathalie Brugger qualified Switzerland for the Rio 2016 Olympics at their first attempt in the Nacra 17 class, while Flavio Marazzi and his co-sailor Enrico de Maria in the Star, windsurfer Mateo Sanz Lanz and Laser and Finn sailor Nils Theuninck achieved further successes. GYC accompanied Nils on his way to the top for over 10 years. And it is entirely in keeping with the club’s philosophy that this knowledge should be passed on. With his accumulated experience, Nils himself became the coach of Anja von Allmen, who in turn shares training synergies with Maud Jayet. GYC sailors Gauthier and Martin Verhulst are already training on ILCA 7 for the 2028 Games, as are Anja von Allmen on ILCA 6 and Joshua Richner with Nilo Schaerer on the 49er.

Financial support for the club’s sailors does not come from the club’s coffers, but from individual members who are personally involved; the club itself provides material and other support. As an international yacht club with 400 members representing more than 40 nationalities, the sporting spirit is cultivated regardless of nationality. For example, seven-time French champion in various classes Eliot Merceron was a GYC member thanks to his mother with a Swiss passport. And in Rio, the GYC sailors represented three different nations—Switzerland, France and Australia.

Another advantage of the club, which has no connection to the lake or the sea, is the experience gained from its own ranks. Twelve members have taken part in sailing classes at the Olympics, representing seven different countries and can therefore estimate how difficult and time-consuming it is to get there.

Elena Lengwiler mastered the first stages of her sporting career under her own steam. With the support of the Gstaad Racing Team and the Swiss Sailing Team, it will be easier for her to concentrate fully on efficient training and competitions in the future.

June 23 was International Olympic Day at GYC and the club to bid farewell and good luck to Elena before the Games. The day commemorates the anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 and emphasizes the place sport has in society and how sport can assist communities to foster social cohesion and tolerance to achieve goodwill. The three pillars of Olympic Day are move, learn and discover.

The 2024 Olympic Games start on July 28 with the first regattas of the 49er and the iQ-Foil windsurfers. With the selection of Elena Lengwiler in the Formula Kite class, the Swiss sailing delegation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is complete. Following the selections of Maud Jayet (ILCA 6), Sébastien Schneiter and Arno de Planta (49er), Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler (470 mixed) and Elia Colombo (iQ-Foil), Switzerland will be represented in five classes at the Olympic regattas off Marseille. You can already keep your fingers crossed. Bon vent!

FACTS & FIGURES

Elena Lengwiler

• Formula Kite Women
• Birthdate: June 1, 1996
• Sailing since 2018
• Sport Management degree – concentration on the Olympic Campaigns 2024 and 2028
• Elite Kader Swiss Sailing Team
• Formula Kite SST Coach: Matthieu Girolet
• www.instagram.com/ele_lengwiler/

Results highlights
2024 – 1st Semaine Olympique Française de Voile “Last Chance Regatta”, Hyères, France
2024 – 4th Formula Kite European Championships, Mar Menor, Spain
2024 – 6th Formula Kite World Championships, Hyères, France
2023 – 15th Formula Kite European Championships, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
2023 – 23rd Allianz Sailing World Championships, Hague, Netherlands
2023 – 17th Paris 2024 Test Event – Sailing, France
2023 – 8th Allianz Regatta / World Cup Series, IJmeer, Netherlands
2023 – 29th Semaine Olympique Française de Voile, Hyères, France
2023 – 29th Trofeo S.A.R Princesa Sofia / World Cup Series, Mallorca, Spain
2023 – 2nd Formula Kite Pan American Championships, Cabarete, Dominican Republic

The Gstaad Yacht Club Racing Team

• Highly attractive team from Switzerland with international network
• Unique combination of Swissness, European & Overseas membership
• Top Performing team members – National, European and World Champions; America’s Cup participants
• Team Leadership with over 60 years of experience in sailing and on worldclass and Olympic level
• America‘s Cup Winners & Participants
• World and European Champions
• National Champions
• Olympics’ Medallists & Participants
• First GYC members participated in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics: Nathalie Brugger (Laser R); Flavio Marazzi & Enrico de Maria (Star)
• 2009/2010: Foundation and first fundraising campaign GYC Racing Team
• Three GYC Racing team members participated in the 2012 Olympics: Nathalie Brugger (Laser R); Richard Stauffacher (LX:R); Flavio Marazzi & Enrico (Star)
• Four GYC Racing team members in Rio 2016:
  Nathalie Brugger & Matías Bühler (Nacra 17); Billy Besson FRA (Nacra 17); Will Ryan AUS (470
• Two GYC Racing team members for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2021):
  Mateo Sanz Lanz (Wind Surf) – Olympic Diplom for CH & Will Ryan (470) – Olympic Gold for AUS
• All GYC Racing Team members = long-standing members of Swiss Sailing Team National Kader

Actual GYC Racing Team Olympic Projects 2024 and 2028

• Anja von Allmen (ILCA 6 Laser)
  Trainer: Mikael Lundh (AUS/SWE) 

• Joshua Richner/Nilo Schaerer (49er)
  Trainer: Ian Barker (GB)
• Gauthier Verhulst (ILCA 7)
  Trainer: Pim Stumpel (NED)
• Martin Verhulst (ILCA 7)
  Trainer: Pim Stumpel (NED)
• Elena Lengwiler – Formula Kite Women
  Trainer: Matthieu Girolet (FRA)

Past members GYC Racing Team r

• Nathalie Brugger – Laser Radial
• Flavio Marazzi & Enrico de Maria – Star
• Matías Bühler & Nathalie Brugger – Nacra 17
• Mateo Sanz Lanz – Wind Surf
• Richard Stauffacher – LX:R
• Eliot Merceron – Laser Standard
• Nils Theuninck – Finn
• Nicolas Rolaz – Laser Standard
• Billy Besson – Nacra 17 (FRA)
• Will Ryan – 470 (AUS)

Contacts Gstaad Yacht Club
Peter Erzberger
Officer GYC Racing Team
peterzberger@icloud.com

Cindy Schönrich
Managing Director GYC & Racing Team
Tel. +41 (0)33 748 0190
cindy@gstaadyachtclub.com
www.gstaadyachtclub.com

Swiss Sailing Team

On behalf of Swiss Sailing, the Swiss Sailing Team offers the necessary framework conditions so that all sponsored athletes can develop and achieve their best performance. Our support consists of a graduated elite and junior development concept based on harmonised objectives and existing resources.

Christian Scherrer
Chief Executive Officer – Team Leader
Swiss Sailing Team
christian.scherrer@swiss-sailing-team.ch
www.swiss-sailing-team.ch