Vadlau and Maehr become Golden Stars of Austrian sailing

Lara Vadlau and Lukas Maehr are the first to admit they were not one of the favourites heading into Paris 2024.

Few predicted a podium finish for them in the Mixed Dinghy and yet they managed to defy expectations, winning Austria’s first Olympic sailing gold medal in 20 years.

Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher were the last Austrians to strike gold at an Olympics, topping the Tornado class in both Sydney and Athens.

Vadlau and Maehr had to put in the performance of their lives to break the drought, but while the wider sailing world watched on in awe, the crew knew this was all part of the plan.

“Our goal was always to win a medal,” said Maehr. “We just wanted to sail a very good Medal Race like we’ve done all week. There was pressure to perform every day, so it was a hugely emotional moment for us to be in front at the end.”

“It’s a big medal for us to take back to our country because we have a long sailing tradition. We’ve had wonderful, successful sailors who were all cheering for us and helped us a lot in our campaign.”

After enduring the worst possible start to their regatta – receiving a black flag in race one – the Austrians composed themselves and quickly climbed up the rankings, winning two races in the Opening Series.

That recovery meant they entered the Medal Race with a seven-point advantage over reigning world champions Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman of Spain.

Vadlau and Maehr started slowly in the decisive race, but once again recovered to move up the standings and cross the line in seventh, finishing three points ahead of eventual silver medallists Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka of Japan.

The result was a monumental one for Austrian sailing and while Vadlau and Maehr refused to reveal their secret to success, they did point towards decisions which may have ultimately turned the tide.

“We found out pretty early in our campaign which material we wanted to use. It didn’t make our path easier at the World Championships, the Europeans and other regattas, because we didn’t have the speed we wanted, but luckily we made this decision and we kept that material to the end.

“When we capsized the boat after winning, we had to step on the centreboard and I said to Lukas: ‘Please don’t break it.’”

Maehr was quick to point out that the kit was only part of the picture. Spending hours upon hours training in the Bay of Marseille meant the pair were able to acclimatise to the tricky conditions on the French coast.

“We are lucky that we have a long sailing history in Austria which is why we have some older masts and mature centreboards in the Austria team’s container, ready to be used,” said Maehr.

“We also spent as many hours as possible here in Marseille practicing in the bay, to feel at home here over the last three months. That’s why we felt comfortable in the conditions this week.

“Marseille showed us a lot of different winds. It’s an amazing bay to sail in, but it’s also very difficult to handle.”

The ability to manage the light winds proved pivotal for the Austrian success story, but it was a story that was almost not written at all.

Early in her career, Vadlau picked up two World Championship titles, in 2014 and 2015, but decided to step away from the sport after experiencing disappointment in Rio.

Vadlau entered that Olympic Games as one of the favourites in the women’s 470 alongside Jolanta Ogar-Hill, but the pair were unable to deliver a medal.

“After Rio I had a really hard time because we went into the Olympics as one of the favourites, but didn’t win – totally the opposite from now – so I decided to quit sailing and go down another path,” Vadlau said.

“I became a doctor, I studied medicine, finished my studies and then watched the Games in Tokyo and saw there was still a part of me that wanted to sail and prove I was the best.”

After taking a five year hiatus, Vadlau returned to sailing and united with Maehr, the 2017 World bronze medallist, to compete in an entirely new Olympic class.

Whereas in years gone by the 470 was split into men’s and women’s categories, in Paris the two blended together to form a new mixed class which Vadlau and Maehr have managed to master.

“Every change in sport is an opportunity,” Maehr said. “The 470 class has gone from two medals to one, but that means everyone has started from zero.

“We are both very grateful to sail with an amazing athlete by our side.”

Written by Stefan Frost