Hélène de Pourtalès was the first woman to win an Olympic medal, sailing in the 1900 Olympics in the 1-2 Ton class. She was one of three crew aboard the boat Lérina, alongside her husband and nephew. Lérina sailed in two races that were scored and awarded separately, receiving gold in the first race and silver in the second.
Pourtales was born Hélène Barbey in 1868 to Isaac and Mary Barbey in New York. Her father was an affluent Swiss banker and her mother came from the Lolliard family, which owned Lorillard Tobacco Company. Isaac Barbey took his family to Bellevue, Switzerland, to spend their summers, where Hélène would spend her day’s yachting. She held dual citizenship between the United States and Switzerland, which ultimately allowed her to sail for Switzerland in the Olympics, despite being born in America. Her uncle, Pierre Lorillard IV, is credited with helping to make Newport a yachting center as he brought his schooner Vesta and steam yacht Radha.
At 23, Hélène Barbey married Swiss sailor Hermann Alexander, Count von Pourtalès. The couple sailed together in regattas on Lake Geneva and around Cannes. In 1900, they registered for the Olympic games. Hélène was 32 at the time.
The 1900 Olympics were the second iteration of the modern summer Olympics. They were held in Paris as a part of the 1900 World’s Fair and allowed female athletes to compete for the first time. Five events—golf, tennis, sailing, croquet and equestrian—were open to women. Hélène was both the first woman to compete in the Olympics and the first woman to receive a gold medal.
March 2022
