Leslie Jean Egnot ONZM (born 28 February 1963 in Greenville, South Carolina) is an American-born yachtswoman who competed for New Zealand at two Olympic Games and won a silver medal, with Jan Shearer, at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain in the women's 470 class.[1]

Leslie Egnot
ONZM
Personal information
Full nameLeslie Jean Egnot
NationalityNew Zealand
Born28 February 1963 (1963-02-28) (age 61)
Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
Height167 cm (5 ft 5+12 in)
RelativesJenny Egnot (sister)
Sailing career
Class(es)470, IACC
Medal record
Women's sailing
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona 470 class

Egnot had previously been a reserve for Shearer and Fiona Galloway at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and Egnot and Shearer competed again at 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where they finished 16th, hampered by an injury Egnot was carrying at the time.

Egnot, who moved to New Zealand with her family when she was 10,[2] reverted to her American passport in 1995 and became the first woman to helm an America's Cup yacht when she led the all-woman crew of Mighty Mary in the 1995 Citizen Cup, the defender selection series regatta for the 1995 America's Cup.[3][4]

In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Egnot was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to yachting.[5]

Egnot's younger sister Jenny Egnot has also represented New Zealand in yachting at the Olympics, competing in the 470 at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

References

edit
  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Leslie Egnot". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  2. ^ Biography, olympic.org.nz
  3. ^ "Mighty Mary Sails Into A 3-Way Tie", BARBARA LLOYD, 18 April 1995, New York Times
  4. ^ "America's Cup effort inspires Kiwi sailors"
  5. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 1996". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 1996. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
edit