Tom Slingsby OAM, born on September 5, 1984, is a highly accomplished Australian professional sailor. He is celebrated for winning an Olympic gold medal in the Laser class at the 2012 London Olympics. Slingsby's sailing journey began at a young age, drawing inspiration from the Sydney 2000 Olympics. His early successes were in Laser dinghies, where he secured three consecutive world championships and a total of five world titles between 2007 and 2012. In 2010, he was named the male ISAF World Sailor of the Year. He received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) and was named the Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2012.
Slingsby currently serves as the skipper and CEO of the Australia SailGP Team, leading them to victory in the first three seasons of the SailGP Championship. He was also part of Oracle Team USA's victory at the 34th America's Cup in 2013 as a strategist. In February 2026, Slingsby steered the Australian team to victory at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland. The team is now focused on winning their home event in Sydney. Slingsby was named the World Sailing Male Sailor of the Year in 2021 and 2023, making him the only person to win the award three times.
