Marseille rained medals on the Swedish national sailing team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. On shore, a team of RISE researchers provided the Swedish sailors with AI insights and optimised components.
The Swedish sailing team won a silver medal in the 49erFX class and a bronze medal in the 470 class at the Paris Olympics. Three years of preparation – and perhaps a lifetime of training for the sailors – paid off. An important piece of the puzzle in these preparations was the collaboration between the Swedish Olympic Committee, SOK, and the Swedish Sailing Federation's coaches, as well as a research team from RISE.
– The collaboration involved analysing performance, but also developing very practical materials, such as developing and testing a new rudder or centreboard, explains Peter Reinebo, head of the Paris 2024 Olympic team at SOK.
Laura Marimon Giovannetti, a researcher at RISE and a former elite international sailor, was brought in to help the national sailing team with the technical development of equipment ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She describes the change in Olympic sport that prompted SOC to approach her:
– Athletes and coaches have realised that training alone is not enough, technical knowledge is also needed to improve performance. As a result, athletes and coaches have become more technically minded, gaining knowledge in more areas than just physiology and nutrition. Sailing is a complex sport where you need to understand not only the sailor's ability, but also the wind, the environment and the boat.
”Great advantage that Laura likes to be out in the field”
Laura Marimon Giovanetti has sailed for the British National Sailing Team - an experience that Peter Reinebo believes is very valuable for the sailors, the coaches and the SOC:
– It's one thing to be able to show things in a lab, but in sailing the environment is dynamic and it's a great advantage that Laura likes to be out in the field with our sailors and their coaches. Her background as an international sailor and coach combined with both deep and incisive theoretical knowledge is a unique combination, he says, and Laura adds:
– Giving and receiving clear feedback is the only way this collaboration can work. That's why it's important to know the sport and how sailors and international operations work. My own sailing background makes it easier for the sailors to have confidence that what I say is hopefully right, or to challenge me with their own thoughts.
So what has been the specific contribution of the research team? A lot of the preparation was about getting to know the race venue. Historical weather data from the Marseille area has been collected and analysed with the national sailing team's meteorologists. Weather data has been cross-referenced with GPS data from previous races to create a database of information on which strategies have worked best in different areas of the course. AI models were also used to draw conclusions.
– Every race day I report how the Swedish sailors are doing compared to the competition. It is important that there is the right amount of information and feedback in the right way, so that the sailors can digest the information in the evening and start the next race day well prepared, says Laura Marimon Giovanennetti.
It's one thing to be able to show things in a lab, but in sailing the environment is dynamic and it's a great advantage that Laura likes to be out in the field
Aiming for the fastest boat possible
In addition to data analysis, the national sailing team has also received help in developing components that have made a difference to the performance of the Swedish boats. As Peter Reinebo mentioned, these include steering components such as rudders and centreboards. Here, the RISE team has carried out hydrodynamic research, for example, looking at how to minimise resistance from the rudder in the two-man 470. – The aim is to find the optimal combination of boat, sailor and equipment to achieve the best possible speed, explains Peter Reinebo.
And the boats had good speed. When Laura Marimon Giovannetti looks back at the results in Marseille, she feels a sense of pride: – I received a very nice text message from the head of the Swedish national sailing team saying that I was a big part of the good preparations and the medals, and some of the sailors called to thank me for my efforts. I'm very happy with the process that led us there, she says.
Next Olympics in sight
Preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina are now underway, with RISE researchers contributing AI solutions, data analysis and manufacturing components for the cross-country, biathlon and curling teams. Again, the aim is to help create the best possible conditions for skiers and players to perform at their best in perhaps the most important competitions of their careers.
– We have embarked on a journey based on evidence, which is important in terms of performance development and results, as well as self-image. There is a certain psychology to being able to stand on the starting line, knowing that you have done everything you can to succeed. Psychology is important, and of course this also applies to the technical areas, says Peter Reinebo.
The Swedish Olympic Committee
The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) is a non-profit organisation made up of the sports federations that are on the Olympic programme. Founded in 1913, the SOC is responsible for Olympic matters in Sweden and the participation of Olympic teams in the Olympic Games.
One of the SOC's long-term goals is for Sweden to be successful in many sports and to be able to win 20 medals, including at least five gold medals, at the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
This is the background to the SOC's investment in performance development through the Top and Talent programme. Research and development is a key part of this, as are the initiative's partners, in which RISE plays an important role.
