Lars Grael

Lars Grael
OMM
Personal information
Full nameLars Schmidt Grael
Nationality Brazil
Born (1964-02-09) February 9, 1964
São Paulo, Brazil
Sailing career
SportSailing
Club Rio Yacht Club
ClassesTornado, Star, Snipe
Medal record
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place1988 SeoulTornado
Bronze medal – third place1996 AtlantaTornado
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1981 Long Beach, USASnipe
Gold medal – first place1983 Porto, PortugalSnipe
Bronze medal – third place2009 Varberg, SwedenStar
Gold medal – first place2015 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaStar
Silver medal – second place2017 Troense, DenmarkStar
Star Vintage Gold Cup
Silver medal – second place2019 Vintage Gold CupStar
Gold medal – first place2022 Vintage Gold CupStar
Gold medal – first place2023 Vintage Gold CupStar
Silver medal – second place2025 Vintage Gold CupStar

Lars Schmidt Grael OMM (born 9 February 1964, in São Paulo) is a Brazilian sailor and public official. He is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in the Tornado class, having won medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also a world champion in the Snipe and Star classes, winning the Snipe World Championship in 1983 and the Star World Championship in 2015.

Grael competed in four Olympic Games and achieved multiple national and international titles across several sailing classes, including Tornado, Star, and Snipe. Over the course of his career, he earned podium finishes at world, continental, and regional championships, establishing himself as one of Brazil’s most successful competitive sailors across multiple decades.

In September 1998, Grael was involved in a serious motorboat accident during a sailing competition in Vitória, Espírito Santo, which resulted in the amputation of one of his legs. He later returned to competitive sailing and continued to compete at the highest international level following his recovery.

Beyond competition, Grael has been active in public service and social initiatives related to sport. He served in appointed roles in Brazilian public administration focused on sports policy at both the federal and state levels. He is also a co-founder of Projeto Grael, a Brazilian non-profit organization that promotes social inclusion through sailing and nautical education.

Accident

In September 1998, Grael was involved in a serious motorboat accident during a sailing competition in Vitória, Espírito Santo. A motorboat entered the race area and collided with his boat, resulting in the amputation of one of his legs. He later returned to competitive sailing following his recovery.[1]

Philanthropy and social initiatives

Lars Grael is a co-founder of Projeto Grael, a Brazilian non-profit organization established in 1998 in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, together with his brother Torben Grael and sailor Marcelo Ferreira.[2][3] The organization focuses on social inclusion through sailing and nautical activities, offering free sports, educational, and vocational programs to children and young people from economically vulnerable communities.[2]

Projeto Grael operates primarily from Charitas Beach and provides instruction in sailing, swimming, and canoeing, as well as workshops related to boat maintenance and environmental education.[2] Grael has also participated in events organized in partnership with international institutions, including a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime seminar on sport and social inclusion in Brazil.[4]

Public service and administration

Lars Grael has served in appointed public administration roles related to sports policy in Brazil. He served as "National Secretary of Sports" at the federal level from 2001 to 2002.[5]

He later served as "Secretary of Youth, Sports and Leisure" for the State of São Paulo from 2003 to 2006, where his responsibilities included oversight of state-level sports and youth programs.[6]

In 1999, Grael was awarded the Order of Military Merit by the Brazilian government, as published in the "Diário Oficial da União".[7] He has also received the Medal of Military Sports Merit, a distinct decoration awarded by Brazil’s Ministry of Defence in recognition of contributions to military sport.[8]

Achievements

As of December 2025[9]

Across his competitive sailing career, Grael competed in four Olympic Games, reaching the medal race in each appearance and earning two bronze medals in the Tornado class. At the world championship level, he achieved multiple podium finishes across several classes, including a world title in the Star class and a world title in the Snipe class, along with additional medals in Star, Ocean, 12 Metre, and 6 Metre competition. Beyond world and Olympic events, Grael recorded extensive success at the continental level, winning multiple South American championships in both the Star and Tornado classes, as well as podium finishes at European, North American, Western Hemisphere, and Southern Hemisphere championships.

Olympic Games

Grael represented Brazil in four editions of the Olympic Games between 1984 and 1996, competing exclusively in the Tornado class. Across these appearances, he reached the medal race in each Olympic campaign and earned two bronze medals, first at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and again at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His Olympic career spanned more than a decade and included partnerships with multiple crew members.

ResultEventCrewVenueClass
7th1984 Summer OlympicsBrazil Clinio FreitasLos Angeles, United StatesTornado
3rd1988 Summer OlympicsBrazil Clinio FreitasSeoul, South KoreaTornado
8th1992 Summer OlympicsBrazil Clinio FreitasBarcelona, SpainTornado
3rd1996 Summer OlympicsBrazil Henrique PellicanoAtlanta, United StatesTornado

World Championships

At the world championship level, Grael achieved podium finishes across multiple sailing classes over several decades. He won world titles in both the Snipe and Star classes, claiming the Snipe World Championship in 1983 and the Star World Championship in 2015. In addition to his world titles, he recorded several podium finishes in the Star class and earned medals in Ocean, 12 Metre, and 6 Metre competition, reflecting sustained competitiveness across different boat types and eras.

YearEventVenueResultCrew / BoatClassRef
1981Snipe World ChampionshipLong Beach, United States3rdBrazil Torben GraelSnipe[10]
1983Snipe World ChampionshipPorto, Portugal1stBrazil Torben GraelSnipe[10]
1999Ocean World ChampionshipSalvador, Brazil3rdMagia 4 Telemar (Nelson / Marek 31)Ocean[9]
200512 Metre World ChampionshipNewport, United States2ndKZ3 - Wright on White12 Metre[9]
2009Star World ChampionshipVarberg, Sweden3rdBrazil Ronald SeifertStar[11]
2010Star World ChampionshipRio de Janeiro, Brazil4thBrazil Ronald SeifertStar[12]
2015Star World ChampionshipBuenos Aires, Argentina1stBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar[13]
2016Star World ChampionshipMiami, United States4thBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar[14]
2017Star World ChampionshipTroense, Denmark2ndBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar[15]
20176 Metre World ChampionshipVancouver, Canada3rdKC19 - SASKIA6 Metre[16]
2019Star Vintage Gold CupGull Lake, United States2ndUnited States Arnis BaltinsStar[17]
2022Star Vintage Gold CupGull Lake, United States1stJapan Isao ToyamaStar[17]
2023Star Vintage Gold CupGull Lake, United States1stBrazil Mauricio BuenoStar[17]
2025Star Vintage Gold CupGull Lake, United States2ndBrazil Marco LagoaStar[17]

Continental Championships

Beyond world and Olympic competition, Grael recorded extensive success at the continental level. He won multiple South American championships, particularly in the Star and Tornado classes, and achieved podium finishes at European, North American, Western Hemisphere, and Southern Hemisphere championships. These results extended his international competitive career well beyond his Olympic years and across multiple regions.

European Championships

YearEventVenueResultCrewClassRef
2018European ChampionshipFlensburg, Germany2ndSamuel GonçalvesStar[18]
2017European ChampionshipSanremo, Italy4thStar
2016European ChampionshipGaeta, Italy4thStar
2008European ChampionshipBalaton, Hungary4thStar
1996European ChampionshipAttersee, Austria4thTornado

North American Championships

YearEventVenueResultCrewClassRef
2011North American ChampionshipLido, United States2ndStar
2006North American ChampionshipNewport, United States2nd12 Metre
2010North American ChampionshipLos Angeles, United States5thStar
2007North American ChampionshipVancouver, Canada7thStar

South American Championships

YearEventVenueResultCrewClassRef
2023South American ChampionshipRio de Janeiro, Brazil1stBrazil Mauricio BuenoStar[19]
2016South American ChampionshipBrasília, Brazil1stBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar
2014South American ChampionshipIlhabela, Brazil1stBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar
2011South American ChampionshipMar del Plata, Argentina1stBrazil Ronald SeifertStar
2008South American ChampionshipAngra dos Reis, Brazil1stBrazil Marcelo JordanStar
2005South American ChampionshipBuenos Aires, Argentina1stBrazil Marco LagoaStar
1998South American ChampionshipBúzios, Brazil1stTornado
1995South American ChampionshipBúzios, Brazil1stTornado
1991South American ChampionshipAraruama, Brazil1stTornado
1989South American ChampionshipNiterói, Brazil1stTornado
2018South American ChampionshipRio de Janeiro, Brazil2ndBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar
2012South American ChampionshipAngra dos Reis, Brazil2ndBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar
1995South American ChampionshipRapel, Chile2ndJ/24
1994South American ChampionshipRio de Janeiro, Brazil2ndSoling
1985South American ChampionshipFlorianópolis, Brazil2ndOcean
1985South American ChampionshipBúzios, Brazil2ndTornado
2015South American ChampionshipBuenos Aires, Argentina3rdBrazil Samuel GonçalvesStar
1999South American ChampionshipSalvador, Brazil3rdOcean

Western Hemisphere Championships

YearEventVenueResultCrewClassRef
2018Western Hemisphere ChampionshipMiami, United States1stStar
2014Western Hemisphere ChampionshipSunapee, United States1stStar
2015Western Hemisphere ChampionshipMiami, United States2ndStar

Southern Hemisphere Championships

YearEventVenueResultCrewClassRef
2011Southern Hemisphere ChampionshipRio de Janeiro, Brazil2ndStar

References

  1. ↑ Silva, Célio (September 6, 2010). "Há 12 anos, iatista Lars Grael sobreviveu a acidente no mar". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  2. 1 2 3 "About us". Projeto Grael.
  3. ↑ "From Olympic spirit to Olympic charity: the Projeto Grael". Nautical Channel.
  4. ↑ "ONU e velejador olímpico Lars Grael debatem esporte e inclusão em seminário no Rio". United Nations Brazil.
  5. ↑ "Lars Grael: um esportista na política". Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  6. ↑ "Lars Grael". Trata Brasil.
  7. ↑ "Diário Oficial da União (01 April 1999), p. 24". Diário Oficial da União. Imprensa Nacional. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Banco de Dados da Medalha do Mérito Desportivo Militar" (PDF). Ministério da Defesa. Governo Federal do Brasil. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 "Lars Grael – Official Website". larsgrael.com.br. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  10. 1 2 "World Championship Results". International Snipe Class. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "2009 Star World Championship – Varberg, Sweden". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "2010 Star World Championship – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Lars Grael conquista título mundial de Star ao lado de Samuel Gonçalves". G1. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "2016 Star World Championship – Miami, Florida, USA". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "2017 Star World Championship – Troense, Denmark". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "6 Metre World Championship Results". Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Star Vintage Gold Cup – Winners Archive". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "2018 Star European Championship – Flensburg, Germany". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "2023 South American Championship". International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
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