Paul Elvstrom, whose prowess at sea brought him four consecutive Olympic gold medals in sailing and international standing as one of the sport’s greatest competitors of the 20th century, died on Wednesday at his home in Hellerup, Denmark. He was 88.
Dan Ibsen, the executive director of the Royal Danish Yacht Club, confirmed the death.
Nicknamed the Great Dane, Elvstrom also won 13 world championships in a sailing career that began on the Oresund, the strait separating Denmark from Sweden, when he was a boy. He went on to build a vast international sailmaking and sailing products company that became a leader in design, engineering and performance.