Olympic champions Diego Botín and Florian Trittel have confirmed plans to combine an America’s Cup campaign with their defence of Olympic glory at Los Angeles 2028.
The Spanish 49er pair are among the most successful sailors of the current Olympic cycle. In October 2025 they added the 49er World Championship title in Cagliari to their Paris 2024 Olympic gold.
The victory came after a year away from Olympic-class racing and just two months of dedicated 49er training.
Their recent success extends beyond Olympic sailing. While preparing for the Paris Games, the duo also raced with the Spain SailGP Team and secured the Season 4 title after defeating Australia and New Zealand in the San Francisco final.
That run, combined with Olympic gold and world championship success, earned them the World Sailor of the Year award in 2024.
Looking ahead to the new Olympic cycle, the pair plan a dual programme.
During 2026 they will focus on joining the America’s Cup campaign with the French K-Challenge team. Although they will not compete in 49er regattas that year, they intend to maintain technical training in the class.
In 2027 they will return to Olympic competition at the 49er World Championship in Gdynia, Poland. The event will offer the first opportunity for nations to secure Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028.
After the America’s Cup concludes in summer 2027, Botín and Trittel plan to resume their full Olympic campaign.
“The America’s Cup represents an enormous professional challenge and a huge opportunity to grow as sailors,” said Botín. “But we also feel that we still have a lot to give in the 49er.”
“The motivation to try to repeat our success from Paris in Los Angeles is what drives us,” he added.
Trittel said the pair were keen to continue building on a remarkable run of results.
“We’re coming off an incredible period with SailGP Season 4, Olympic gold and the 49er World Championship,” he said. “Now it’s time to evolve and take on new challenges.”
He also confirmed the duo intend to continue competing in SailGP alongside their America’s Cup and Olympic campaigns.
