“The sport of sailing has lost a great competitor and the most inspirational person most of us will ever know,” said Dean Brenner, Chairman of US SAILING’s Olympic Sailing Program. “Words cannot describe the pride so many people felt watching Nick take the last few steps towards his dream in China last summer. He was a gold medalist on and off the water, and we’ll miss him dearly.”
Sailing with crew Maureen McKinnon-Tucker of Marblehead, MA, Scandone notched five bullets in Qingdao, clinching the firstever Paralympic gold medal in the SKUD-18 class a day early. All six class medalists clasped hands as the Americans received their gold medals. “This is something I’ve strived for since I was 20 years old, when I was trying to go for gold in the 470 class,” said Scandone. “Now, to reach that goal…it’s hard to describe in words.”Scandone, US SAILING’s 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and 2008 Sportsman of the Year, is survived by his father, brother and wife Mary Kate.
