What to know about sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics: History, events, how it works

Here's what you need to know about sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

When did sailing become an Olympic sport?

Sailing has been included on the programme for every Summer Games in the modern era but was canceled in 1896 in Athens due to weather conditions. The first Olympic sailing competition was held in 1900 in Paris. (It was called "yachting" until the 2000 Sydney Games.)

In the early Olympics, bigger boats were used with as many as 10-12 sailors per boat. Through the years, the competition moved to one-design boats, meaning all boats are nearly identical in design, and fewer crew members. Women were always allowed to compete with the men; in 1988 events were introduced for women only.

How does Olympic sailing work?

Ten events will be held from July 28 through Aug. 8 in Marseille. Men and women compete separately in four events. There are two mixed events: multihull and dinghy.

Sailing races are held in a fleet race format, meaning a group of boats compete at the same time. Boats are awarded points for their finishing position in each race (first place = 1 point, second place = 2 points). The lower the total score, the better the overall placement for the boat. The worst race result for each boat is eliminated after the opening series.

Sailing events you should know

49er men and 49erFX women: Named after its hull length of 4.99 meters, the 49er is a two-handed skiff.

Formula kite men and women: It's also known as kiteboarding or kitesurfing and involves an athlete being harnessed to a kite while gliding across the water on a board.

Ilca 7 men and Ilca 6 women: A small single-handed dinghy. The women race in a smaller variant of the boat.

IQFoil men and women: A format of windsurfing in which a board appears to fly across the water due to hydrofoils attached to the bottom. At race start, the iQFoil immediately gets up to a racing speed of 25 kilometers per hour.

Nacra 17 mixed: The Nacra 17 in a catamaran that is 17 feet long with hydrofoil daggerboards and winglets.

470 mixed: The 470 is a double-handed dinghy with an overall length of 4.7 meters.

Who are the top Team USA athletes in sailing?

Daniela Moroz is the leading medal contender for the United States, a six-time world champion at age 23. Moroz's parents were windsurfers and she began competing internationally at age 14. She is a three-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea have sailed together since the fall of 2016 in the 49erFX event. The pair have won medals at the 2019 and 2023 Pan American Games and are No. 3 in the Olympic rankings.

What’s the international landscape in Olympic sailing?

Host France, Germany and Great Britain are the only countries to qualify boats in all 10 events. China, Italy, Spain and the USA have nine spots.

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands is a three-time Olympic medalist competing in the one-person dinghy event. In the men's kite event, Singapore's Max Maeder is a favorite to medal. The 17-year-old won gold and silver at the Formula Kite World Championships (2022, 2024).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics: Events, history, how it works