7 Spanish athletes who have gone down in history

Angel Nieto

We start with a legend from the motorcycling world. Ángel Nieto was a Spanish rider, considered the motorcyclist with the best track record among Spanish motorcyclists after being champion 13 times and the second in the world behind the Italian Giacomo Agostini.

he is the driver who has won the most titles with the most brands: Derbi, Kreidler, Bultaco, Minarelli and Garelli.

Ángel Nieto was born on January 25, 1947 in Zamora. As a child he moved to Madrid, where he lived almost all his life. He felt a passion for speed from an early age, so much so that he became a mechanic's assistant in a workshop in Madrid.His hobby increased to the level of wanting to become a professional and it is there that he made one of the most important decisions of his life, moving to Barcelona.

At the age of 17, in 1964, he had his first world championship race, managing to position himself in fifth place, which he also obtained in the following years (1965 and 1966).In 1967, already being a professional with Derbi, he ran four races in the 50cc World Championship and in 1969 he obtained his first World Cup victories, and the first crown of the 13 that stand out as the pioneer and forerunner of modern motorcycling in Spain.

AWARDS OF ÁNGEL NIETO

The Spanish rider was a great reference for many. His family followed great motorcyclists like his sons Ángel Nieto Jr. And Pablo Nieto was also the uncle of Fonsi Nieto, also a pilot.

• 1965 First victory in the Spanish Championship (125cc), Seville, September 19.

• 1967 Champion of Spain (50 cc), Champion of Spain (125 cc) and first podium in the World Championship (2nd in the GP Holland 50 cc).

• 1968 Champion of Spain (125 cc).

• 1969 First victory in the World Championship (German GP 50 cc), World Champion with Derby (50 cc) and Spanish Champion (250 cc).

• 1970 World Champion with Derbi (50 cc), Spanish Champion (50 cc).

• 1971 Spanish Champion (50 cc), Spanish Champion (125 cc), Spanish Champion (250 cc) and World Champion with Derby (125 cc).

• 1972 Spanish Champion (50 cc), Spanish Champion (125 cc), Spanish Champion (250 cc), World Champion with Derby (50 cc) and World Champion with Derby (125 cc) .

• 1973 Spanish Champion (125 cc) and Spanish Champion (250 cc).

• 1974 Spanish Champion (125 cc) and Spanish Champion (250 cc).

• 1975 Spanish Champion (125 cc), Spanish Champion (250 cc) and World Champion with Kriedler (50 cc).

• 1976 Spanish Champion (50 cc), Spanish Champion (125 cc) and World Champion with Bultaco (50 cc).

• 1977 Spanish Champion (125 cc) and World Champion with Bultaco (50 cc).

• 1978 Spanish Champion (125 cc).

• 1979 World Champion with Minarelli (125 cc).

• 1980 Spanish Champion (250 cc).

• 1981 Spanish Champion (250 cc) and World Champion with Minarelli (125 cc).

• 1982 World Champion with Garelli (125 cc).

• 1983 World Champion with Garelli (125 cc).

• 1984 World Champion with Garelli (125 cc).

• 1985 Last victory (GP France 80 cc).

• 1986 Last race (Superprestige SM).

On July 26, 2017, at the age of 70, he suffered an accident in Ibiza while driving. He underwent surgery for medical assistance and it is on August 3, 2017 when he died of massive cerebral edema.

Blanca Fernandez Ochoa

she was the Spanish skier who became the first Spanish woman to win an Olympic medal and was one of the pioneers in promoting women's sport in Spain.

Blanca Fernández Ochoa was born in Carabanchel on April 22, 1963. Her parents worked at the Navacerrada station, which is why she was related to snow from a very young age. Blanca was the youngest of eight siblings, who pushed her into the world of skiing.

At the age of 11, Blanca moved to a training center with a boarding school for winter athletes in Baqueira, where she learned and evolved until she improved her technique. At the age of 16, he participated in his first Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid and the following year managed to win the European Super G Cup.

In 1985, Blanca Fernández Ochoa achieves the first victory of a Spanish skier in the World Cup, in Vail. In 1992, she won the bronze medal in slalom at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, marking a before and after in Spanish women's sport.

After her great feats, the skier Blanca Fernández Ochoa decides to retire at the age of 29 in the Baqueira Beret Spanish Championship. She continued to be involved in the world of skiing and focused on her family. She was the mother of two children, Olivia and David, who have also followed in their mother's footsteps.

Blanca passes away on August 24, 2019, at the age of 56. She will always be remembered for all the effort, dedication and tenacity in the world of winter sports.

Antonio Gorostegui

Antonio Gorostegui, better known as Toño Gorostegui, is a top-class Spanish athlete who has competed in sailing, in 470, Star and Soling classes.

The Spanish sailor was born on February 16, 1955, in Santander. At the age of 14, he participated for the first time in a regatta and in 1976 he won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada together with Alejandro Abascal.

In 1980, Antonio Gorostegui achieved his victory at the Moscow Olympic Games with a gold medal, sharing sailing with Alejandro Abascal .

Gorostegui together with José Luis Doreste obtained the European and world titles of the Star Olympic class, in 1982. The following year he was proclaimed world champion of the same class in Marina de Rey, USA.

In 1988 he was selected to be part of the national sailing team that traveled to the Seoul Olympics.

Currently, Antonio Gorostegui lives in Palamós, Girona, working as a monitor for the Spanish Sailing Federation.

Edurne Pasaban

Edurne Pasaban she is the first woman to reach the top of the 14 largest mountains on earth. Mountaineer, industrial engineer and businesswoman, Edurne Pasaban manages to become history after ascending to the 14 eight-thousanders on the planet and the twenty-first person including men. He completed his journey in nine years, beginning his first ascent of an eight-thousander on Everest, on May 23, 2001, until his last Shisha Pangma, on May 17, 2010.

He was born on August 1, 1973 in Tolosa, Guipúzcoa, Spain. He studied Technical Engineering and then completed a Master's in Business, in Barcelona. At the age of 14, he began rock climbing at the Tolosa mountaineering club and it was since then that he gradually entered the world of mountaineering, visiting the Pyrenees and the Alps during his vacations. At the age of 16, Edurne Pasaban climbed Mont Blanc (4,810 meters), Cervino (4,478 meters) and Monte Rosa (4,614 meters). The following year he reached the Summit of the Chimborazo Volcano (6310 meters).

Later, at the age of 21, Edurne adds to her list the Cotopaxi (5,897 meters), the Tungurahua (6,310 meters) and the Guagua Pichincha (4,971 meters).

It was not until 1998 that he traveled to the Himalayas for the first time with his Tolosa mountain club to attempt his first eight-thousander, the Dhaulagiri (8167 meters), however he could not finish due to the enormous amount of accumulated snow that prevented his conquest. It took him ten years later to reach that summit.

Currently, Edurne Pasaban lives in Barcelona where she gives conferences on personal improvement, and trains to receive the title of personal trainer. She owns a rural tourism restaurant and in 2012 she became a writer, launching her book on coaching "Objective: Confidence", which covers the Everest expedition in 2011.

Carlos Sainz

Considered the best Spanish rally driver.Carlos Sainz Cenamor was two-time world rally champion in 1990 and 1992 together with Toyota and is the winner of the 2020 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.

Carlos Sainz was born in Madrid, Spain; on April 12, 1962. He started at a very young age in this world of sports, his passion being football. However, he tried other sports such as skiing, tennis, squash, athletics and even boxing.

The Spanish athlete was known in the World Rally Championship as “ El Matador ”, due to his great personality and charisma.

Carlos Sainz is the driver who has competed in the most world championship events and the third who has achieved the most victories. In addition, he is one of the three Spanish drivers who has won a rally in the World Rally Championship. He has participated in thirteen editions of the Dakar Rally, being the first during the years 2010, 2018 and 2020, accumulating 36 stage victories.

The pilot has received numerous decorations and recognitions for his impeccable career. Carlos Sainz also supports several young pilots in their sports career. In 2000, he created his youth project together with the Ford brand.

Currently his brother Antonio Sainz and his son Carlos Sainz Jr., are also pilots and compete in Championships.

Miguel Indurain

The cyclist Miguel Induráin winner of five Tours de France (1991-1995) and of the Giro d'Italia for two consecutive years (1992 and 1993), Champion world time trial (1995) and hourly record holder for two months (1994).He won several laps in one-week stages and one-day classics, most notably the Volta a Cataluña, the Paris-Nice, the Clásica de San Sebastián, the Spanish Road Championship and the Dauphiné Libére.

Miguel Induráin he was born on July 16, 1964 in the Navarrese town of Villava, where he started cycling as a member of the Villavés Cycling Club. He was the second of five children and always had a passion for cycling.In 1989, Miguel Induráin becomes en the first and only Spaniard to have won the Paris Nice and the International Critérium. The following year he achieved numerous victories in short races, until he won the Tour de France for the first time, and so on for five years. When he won the Giro d'Italia in 1992, Miguel Induráin began to be talked about as un great in cycling, and two years later he was crowned as an invincible cyclist in long races .

In 1993 she got the silver medal in the road race of the World Championship. A year later, he breaks the hour record, a classic test that had been abandoned by many road runners, however, the Swiss Tony Rominger manages to surpass him.Miguel Induráin participated in the Atlanta 96 Olympic Games, winning the gold medal in the time trial. He was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports.On January 2, 1997, Miguel Induráin officially announces his retirement from professional cycling.

Fermin Cacho

Fermin Cacho is considered one of the best Spanish athletes of all time. The athlete is the winner of two Olympic medals, one of gold won in the 1500 meters at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and the other silver in the same event at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

The Spanish athlete was born on February 16, 1969 and is a middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500-meter dash. His best mark of 1500 meters was in Zurich and he continues to be a record in Spain with a time of 3:28:95.

At the World Championships, he obtained two important runner-ups in the years 1993 and 1997. In addition, other silver medals stand out in the World Championship held in Seville, in 1991, and in the European Championship in Glasgow, 1990.

Fermin Cacho he is married and has four daughters. In 2006, he became President of Club Deportivo Iliturgi, a football club from the town of Andújar. In 2010, he participated in the Marian Day of Athletes in the Sanctuary of Torreciudad, Huesca.