Sam Meech

New Zealand competitive sailor Sam Meech competes in the men’s Laser class, and in 2016 won a bronze medal at the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games.

Meech was born in England, and had a unique upbringing when his parents moved from their family home onto a boat. He credits this unusual and formative experience with giving him a love of the water, and it’s no surprise he grew up to be a champion sailor. He attended secondary school in New Zealand, and started racing aged 15. He quickly established himself on the scene, with wins at the 2012 Sail Sydney Regatta, the 2013 Sail for Gold Regatta and the 2013 EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup. Meech continued to place highly at competitions across the world, including in America and Europe, and came 9th at the Olympic Test Event in 2014. Two years later, he finished on the podium, taking bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Since his Olympic win his career has continued to go from strength to strength, winning the 2017 Sail Sydney competition and the 2017 World Cup in Gamagori. Because of his outstanding performances over the following years, Meech was named as the No.1 Laser sailor in the world in 2018, never finishing outside of the top six in any competition over the next two years. Meech remains one of the world’s best Laser sailors, and is known for his consistency within the sport.