Larry Lemieux could have won the silver medal in the 1988 Seoul games as he overcame 35-knot winds in the Finn-class competition. He saw a capsized boat on the adjacent 470-class course with injured Singapore sailors in the water. He promptly abandoned the race to sail over and save them.
He lost his shot at an Olympic medal, but he was awarded the extremely rare Pierre de Coubertin Medal by the International Olympic Committee president. He is the only Canadian to win one. It's awarded to athletes that demonstrate true sportsmanship, with only 10 of them ever being awarded.
Lemieux battled four-meter waves and a current that was going against the wind. Though he took on a lot of water, he overcame the odds with all his sailing skills and saved both sailors while keeping his own boat from capsizing. A Korean Navy boat arrived and picked the stranded sailors up. Lemieux even went back to finish the race, where he finished 21st out of 32.
