By Suzanne McFadden
After sailing in four Olympics – and coaching at another – Jo Aleh has called time on a glittering Games career that’s spanned 16 years.
The 38-year-old Olympic gold and silver medallist doesn’t yet know where life will take her next, after wrapping up an historic America’s Cup campaign in Barcelona. But she’s pretty confident her future will still involve sailing.
Although Aleh didn't get the result she was after in her Olympic swansong in Marseille – finishing seventh in the 49erFX with Molly Meech – she calls this her favourite Games experience.
And her most humbling – having been chosen with track cyclist Aaron Gate as the Ngā Pou Hapai (flagbearers) leading the New Zealand team at a unique opening ceremony in Paris (fittingly on a boat). On the water, these Olympics were a very different experience for Aleh, after a short two-and-a-half-year build-up once she decided to partner with Meech, in a boat she'd never sailed before.
But she's always been an athlete who thrives on a challenge.
"It was more of an adventure than any of my previous Games. It was a lot tougher in many ways – with a new boat for me, jumping in the deep end – but it was really enjoyable overall," she says. "I love the FX. It's definitely the most fun thing I've sailed. It's challenging and athletic, and it can definitely punish you if you get it wrong.
"We didn't get any real breeze at the Games, after we'd spent most of the leadup learning how to get around the course in breeze – we were pretty confident in that.
"Even though the end result wasn't what we wanted, it was an awesome experience trying to do something that was always going to be super-hard. It was definitely a lot of fun."

Aleh and Molly Meech finished seventh in the 49erFX at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo / World Sailing
In a way, Aleh's Olympic career has come full circle. At 19, she was the youngest New Zealand sailor chosen for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the Laser Radial (now ILCA 6), where she also finished seventh.
She followed that up with gold in the 470 with Polly Powrie in London 2012, and four years later, they returned to the podium again, this time with silver in Rio.
At this year's Olympics, Aleh found herself "on the sidelines" – off the podium – for the first time since 2008.
"As an athlete, you can judge yourself pretty harshly. But I think that was something quite nice that came out of these Olympics," she says. "While I was pretty gutted about some of the races we sailed, I was still really proud of what we achieved."
And the supportive team atmosphere in Marseille added a new dimension to her Olympic chapter.
"Of all the Olympics I've been part of, I think this was my favourite. We had such a great team on the ground. We had a lot of newbies and only four of us had Games experience. But there were some amazing close-to-podium performances," Aleh says.
"When you win a medal, you don't see the tears on the sideline, because you're dragged off into this other crazy world of media and celebrations; you're in this little bubble.
"So I loved being there with the whole team on the beach, with the flags, the hugs and the cheers. No matter where anyone finished, we were all there for each other. It was great to be a part of that."
Carrying the New Zealand flag on board the barge that meandered along the Seine was a memory Aleh will hold right up there with her Olympic medals. She was shocked when New Zealand team chef de mission, Nigel Avery, phoned her and invited her to take on the role at the opening ceremony.
"It was something I never considered I'd get the chance to do. It's such a huge honour," she says. "I looked at the list of people who carried the
flag before us, and I asked Nigel, 'Really? Are you sure?'"
It wasn't a problem Aleh had to fly back to Marseille the following morning and be on the water sailing by 2pm: "I have a lot of energy, generally, so to burn some of that off, then arrive back chill to go sailing was quite a good thing."
Aleh can't see herself returning to the Olympics as a sailing coach, having worked with Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson in the Nacra 17 three years ago.
"Coaching Erica and Micah in Tokyo was amazing. Then to see them win bronze at these Olympics was so awesome, knowing the battles those two have been through," she says. "Coaching definitely kept me in the sport, and involved in the Olympics. And it made me realise what I love about them.
"But I also realised coaching for me is a lot like sailing – without the fun part. The same programme, hours and travel but you're watching and supporting. For some people, that's what they want to do. I'd like a supporting role, but not a full-time supporting role."

Aleh carried the New Zealand flag at the opening ceremony.
Heading straight from Paris to Barcelona for the first Women's America's Cup was another career pinnacle for Aleh.
Not only making history, but being part of the much larger Emirates Team New Zealand campaign.
"It's amazing when you see people put everything into it – the search for performance on so many levels, like technology and development, as well as sailing," she says.
"I hope this is just the start of a women's series, or something that can continue. A consistent Women's America's Cup, with a set of events leading into it like the guys do. It would be a shame to start the ball rolling and then just let it fade away."
Aleh has no ambition to return to corporate life and work in an office again, after working for professional services firm Ernst & Young, in performance improvement (through the company's global campaign to help athletes transition into the workforce).
"It's good that I've tried a few things, but I definitely struggle with the everyday office life. I'm an outdoor person," she says.
"I really enjoy the performance aspect – and that seems a lot harder to find outside sport."

At the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona with the rest of the Emirates Team New Zealand women's crew. Photo / America's Cup
She doubts she will have another shot at offshore sailing, having trialled for the 2017 Volvo Ocean Race, with Team Brunel.
"I didn't enjoy that too much. Honestly, I'm just too small and not strong enough, and it's a different type of performance – it just keeps going. If I want to do endurance sport, I'll do that for fun," says Aleh, who recently took up running and wants to do an endurance event.
Wingfoiling, another passion, has helped her finally figure out she doesn't have to be competitive in everything she does.
Aleh recently finished her four-year term as the chair of World Sailing's Athletes' Commission.
"Sailing is a complicated sport, and there are a lot of things to juggle and balance," she says. "But I always think it's better to be involved and try to have some impact, rather than being on the sidelines to complain about it, which is what most people seem to do.
"I'm a little younger than your average board member in sports administration and a bit more directly involved having been a recent Olympic athlete and sailed in the America's Cup. It will be interesting to see where the sport goes next."
And where Aleh goes next, too.