Thorleif Holbye
Thorleif Holbye was a Norwegian sailor with the Kongelig Norsk Seilforening of Oslo.1 He won a gold medal in the 8 meters (1907 Rating) open class at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, sailing aboard Irene with crewmates August Ringvold, Sr., Tell Wagle, Kristoffer Olsen, and Alf Bruun Jacobsen.1 • 2 The event was held from 7 to 9 July 1920 at Oostende, Belgium, where Irene was the only yacht entered and won all three races.2
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sport | Sailing; club KNS (Kongelig Norsk Seilforening), Oslo1 |
| Olympic result | Gold, 8 meters (1907 Rating), Open, 1920 Antwerp, aboard Irene1 |
| Crewmates | August Ringvold, Sr., Tell Wagle, Kristoffer Olsen, and Alf Bruun Jacobsen2 |
| Event dates and venue | 7–9 July 1920 at Oostende, Belgium2 |
| Race format | Three races, final places by total points; Irene was the only yacht entered and won each race2 |
The 1920 Olympic regatta
Holbye competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp as a member of the Kongelig Norsk Seilforening, the Oslo sailing club that supplied most of Norway's early Olympic sailors.1 The 8 meter class was sailed in two rating variants that year, 1907 and 1919, and Holbye's crew competed in the 1907 rating event.3
The event was held from 7 to 9 July 1920 at Oostende, with three races scored point-for-place. Only one yacht was presented for the 1907 rating class, so Norway's Irene sailed over each day to claim the gold medal, winning all three races with recorded times of 44:18, 46:54, and 31:23.2
Crewmates
Holbye's four crewmates were all Norwegian Olympic sailors. August Ringvold, Sr. (born 3 April 1876 in Oslo) also won gold in the 8 meter class at the 1924 Paris Games aboard Bera.3
Norway dominated Olympic sailing at Antwerp, taking gold in both 8 meter events, both 10 meter events, both 12 meter events, the three-person keelboat, and the 6 meter class, with silver and bronze medals in several of these classes as well.3
References
Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Sailors (competitive biographies) › Norwegian Olympic sailors
Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026
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