The legacy of women’s sailing: discover the story of Martine Grael

Martine Grael started sailing at the age of 4. Twenty-six years later, she became a two-time Olympic sailing champion, being part of a select group of female athletes who won two Olympic editions. Discover the story of the sailor who, along with Kahena Kunze, became a legend of Brazilian water sport.

Who is Martine Soffiatti Grael?

Martine was born on February 12, 1991. Even before she came into the world, her father had already won two Olympic medals in sailing. That’s why her and her older brother Marco’s path was not different from that of the entire Grael family. At the age of 4, little Martine was already sailing on the Rio Yacht Club, in Niterói, the city where she was born. At fifteen, she was already a two-time Brazilian champion in the Optimist class.

Friend of Kahena Kunze – who is the daughter of the junior world champion in sailing, Cláudio Kunze – the two decided to sail together, as helmsman and helmsman. The partnership resulted in the title of junior world champions in the 420 class, in 2009. For the 2012 Olympic cycle, Martine went on to team up with Isabel Swan, Olympic medalist in Beijing 2012. The pair failed to qualify and fate decided to unite Martine and Kahena for another chance.

Grael family and sailing tradition

Of Danish descent, the Grael family is a reference in the sport of sailing. Torben and his brother Lars started sailing with their grandfather on the boat Aileen in the 1960s. At the time, that same boat was used by three Danish sailors to win silver at the 1912 Olympic Games. in Guanabara Bay (RJ), until they chose different modalities.

Thus, Martine’s father is the greatest Brazilian medalist in the sport, with 5 medals, two gold, two bronze and one silver. Her brother has two bronze medals in the games in Seoul-1988 and Atlanta-1996. Marco, Martine’s brother, is also an Olympic athlete and competed in the Rio-2016 and Tokyo-2020 editions.

Duo with Kahena Kunze and the gold medal in the Rio-16 Olympics

After resuming the partnership in 2013, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze started the Olympic cycle with a runner-up world championship in Marseille, France. The following year, they achieved the greatest feat, so far, in women’s sailing: they won the world championship in Santander, Spain. In 2015, they took second place at the world championship in Buenos Aires.

In front of friends and family, Martine and Kahena had the privilege of winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on August 18, 2016. In the last regatta, they decided to risk a daring maneuver against the New Zealand leaders and took the lead. lead in the final stretch. After crossing the finish line, they were erected by the well-known and consecrated Olympic champions in the heart of Guanabara Bay.

Olympic Championships in Tokyo

Two-time favorites, Martine and Kahena dominated the waters of Tokyo Bay. Consistent in all 12 races, they reached the final depending only on themselves and leaving the Dutch, who were tied with the Brazilian duo, behind.

The third place in the last regatta earned the second gold medal, placing Grael and Kunze in the group of Brazilian athletes who have been two-time Olympic champions, which includes: Serginho, Fabi Alvim, Jaqueline, Fabiana, Sheilla, Thaísa, Paula Pequeno, Maurício and Giovane in volleyball, Adhemar Ferreira da Silva in athletics and Marcelo Ferreira, Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael (Martine’s father) in sailing.

Grael Project and Martine’s influence on Brazilian sport

Founded by Martine’s father and uncle, the Grael project is a non-governmental organization that seeks to bring children and young people into contact with water sports. In addition, the project aims to contribute to the social transformation of the various families involved.

Since 1988, the Grael family has served more than 17,000 young people and currently has a library, digital inclusion classes, environmental education and woodworking. All for free. The project is the birthplace of training for gold medalists who, when they can, visit students to talk about their training, trips and titles.

After winning their second gold, Martine and Kahena revealed the difficulties women face in the pursuit of gender equity in sports. “We have girls who have already opened the horizon with our last medal, and that’s what we want. We want to inspire and bring the female sailing as a legacy”, they revealed in an interview.

10 facts about the two-time Olympic and world champion

Now that you know a little about Martine’s trajectory and the entire legacy of the Grael family, here are some interesting facts about the athlete:

1. The first race played was in the mother’s belly

Martine’s parents met at competitions while competing in regattas. Her mother did not pursue professional sailing, preferring to focus on the veterinary profession. In an interview with Encontro com Fátima Bernardes, Martine’s mother recalled the past: “I did an Olympic campaign some time ago, obviously not with the seriousness that she did, so we have an idea of ​​what this fight is until we get there. It’s nice to remember her as a little girl playing on my boat and see where she’s come.”

2. Studied Environmental Engineering at UFF

Balancing studies and the life of an athlete, Martine started Environmental Engineering at the Fluminense Federal University, in Niterói. But, due to the high number of competitions, trips and the Olympic cycle, she had to drop out of the course.

3. Brazil Olympic Athlete of the Year Award 2014

After winning the World Championship in Santander, Martine and Kahena were elected the best athletes of the year, alongside gymnast Arthur Zanetti. In a speech, the sailing athletes declared that it was “a great honor to receive this award, we were not expecting it. It’s a very big surprise. I would share it with all the athletes who are here for their effort and dedication”.

4. Lover of outdoor activities

In her social networks, Martine describes herself as a professional athlete and a lover of the outdoors, the outdoors. In her spare time, she does climbing, hiking, biking and any activity in contact with nature. In the water, she takes a chance on surfing and even paddling.

5. Martine and Torben are the only father and daughter Olympic champions in the history of Brazilian sport

The achievements of the Grael family speak for themselves: there are 9 medals won, and Martine and Torben are the only ones to achieve this feat in the history of Brazilian sport. Sportsmen such as sports marksmen Oscar and Alfred Swahn and gymnasts Albert and Eduard Azaryan are other cases of Olympic medal-winning parents and children.

6. Is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian

Polyglot, the athlete also speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian, in addition to her native language, Portuguese. Traveling all over the world for work or pleasure, Martine knows how to communicate in several languages!

7. Gold medal won only in the final meters

The duo’s two gold medal journey was full of challenges until the end of the competition. The achievements were in the last minutes, with risky decisions, leaving the opponents behind.

8. Paired with Isabel Swan, the first Brazilian female sailing medalist

With the dream of competing in her first Olympics, Martine teamed up with Isabel Swan, the first Brazilian woman to win sailing medals in Beijing-2008. In an attempt to qualify, the duo was eliminated in the Brazilian tryouts by Fernanda Oliveira, Swan’s ex-partner, and Ana Barbachan.

9. Childhood friends and former rivals in sailing

Before becoming a duo, Kahena and Martine competed in the Optimist class, considered the starting class of sailing. In this modality, the boat is small and the control is simpler, as it is suitable for children from 7 to 15 years old and weighing a maximum of 60 kg. Rivals at sea, the two kept their friendship outside and made their partner a reality years later, as adults.

10. The best sailor in the world in 2014

Martine won the title of best female sailor in the world, elected by the International Sailing Federation. Beside her, Kahena Kunze was also honored. Thus, before them only Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael had won the award.

Did you like to know the trajectory of Martine Grael? Take the opportunity to meet another Brazilian athlete who dominates the waters, the aquatic marathon swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha.