Hans Henken is a Paris 2024 Olympian, Bronze Medalist in the 49er, and current US Sailing Team athlete. A California native, Hans began sailing at six-years-old in the Naples Sabot. He has competed at the highest levels of the sport since he was a junior sailor primarily racing 29ers, 49ers, the International Moth and most recently the supercharged, hydrofoiling F50 in the global SailGP Championship. In 2008, he introduced himself to the world stage when he won a bronze medal at the VOLVO ISAF Youth World Championships and topped that the following year when he became the U23 International Moth World Champion.

Hans has spent the majority of his career competing on the U.S. Sailing Team in the 49er class with his goal of competing at the Olympics. From 2011 to 2015, he was a member and captain of the Stanford University Sailing Team and in his senior year was named Stanford Conference Male Athlete of the Year during the Cardinal’s most successful season. While competing with the Cardinal, he earned a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, an invaluable resource to complement his sailing pedigree.

Hans is currently campaigning for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France alongside teammate Ian Barrows. The pairing is currently ranked 2nd in the world following their 2nd place finish at the 2022 Princesa Sofia World Sailing World Cup and solid performances on the world stage for the 2022 season.

Hans also returned for season three of the global SailGP Championships for US SailGP Team as the starting flight controller, and worked to provide his sailing experience and engineering background on the supercharged F50.

Hans is an avid skier, and surfer and enjoys taking to the slopes, or the surf whenever he has free time. Also, Hans is literally a rocket scientist, and aspires to work on rocket engines when the time comes to move on from competitive sailing.

For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hans teamed up with Ian Barrows and went on to win a bronze medal in the 49er at their debut Olympic appearances; the first medal for Team USA in sailing since Rio 2016 and the first medal in the 49er since Sydney 2000.

GO USA!

About:

Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Education: Stanford University - Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (BS) Stanford University - Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (MS)
Club: St. Francis Yacht Club

Sailing Achievements:

Paris 2024 Olympic Games – 49er – Bronze Medal

Winner, U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing – 49er

2024 49er World Championship – 49er – 16th

2023 Sailing World Championship – 49er – 9th

2022 Skiff World Championships – 49er – 11th

2022 Hyeres French Olympic Sailing Week – 49er – 11th

2022 Princesa Sofia World Sailing World Cup – 49er – 2nd

2022 Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta – 49er – 4th

2022 Miami U.S. Open – 49er – 1st

2021 World Championships – 49er – 4th

2021 Asian Championships – 49er – 5th

2021 North American Championships – 49er – 1st

2021 Santander Invitational Regatta – 49er – 11th 2021 Cascais Championship – 49er – 3rd

2017 U.S. National Championships – 49er – 1st

2017 Sail Melbourne  – 49er – 3rd

2016 North American Championships – 49er – 1st

2015 U.S. National Championships – 49er – 1st

2015 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association First All-Academic Sailing Team

2015 Stanford Conference Male Athlete of the Year

2010 Yacht Racing Union of Southern California Yachtsman of the Year

2009 International Moth U23 World Champion

2008 Volvo ISAF Youth World Championships – 29er – 3rd

2008 US Sailing Dave Perry Sportsmanship Award

2007 US Sailing Dave Perry Sportsmanship Award