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Francisco Fernández Ochoa

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Francisco Fernández Ochoa
Fernández Ochoa in October 2006
Personal information
Born(1950-02-25)February 25, 1950
Madrid, Spain
DiedNovember 6, 2006(2006-11-06) (aged 56)
Cercedilla, Spain
OccupationAlpine skier
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Skiing career
DisciplinesDownhill, Giant Slalom,
Slalom, Combined
ClubClub de Esquí Arroyomolinos, Madrid
World Cup debutJanuary 26, 1969 - (age 18)
RetiredApril 1980 - (age 30)
Olympics
Teams4 – (1968, 1972, 1976, 1980)
Medals1 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams7 – (1968-1980)
    includes 4 Olympics
Medals2 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons12 – (1969–1980)
Wins1 – (1 SL)
Podiums4 – (2 SL, 2 K)
Overall titles0 – (9th in 1975)
Discipline titles0 - (7th in 1975, slalom)
Medal record
Men's alpine skiing
Representing  Spain
Winter Olympics
Gold medal – first place 1972 Sapporo Slalom
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1974 St. Moritz Slalom
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Ochoa.

Francisco "Paquito" Fernández Ochoa (February 25, 1950 – November 6, 2006) was a World Cup alpine ski racer from Spain. Born in Madrid and raised north of the city in Cercedilla, he was the eldest of eight children whose father ran a ski school. Paquito raced in all of the alpine disciplines and specialized in slalom.[1]

At the age of 21, he won an Olympic gold medal in the slalom at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.[2] He is known for being the first (& only) Spaniard to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.[3]

Thirty years later, German-born Johann Mühlegg won three gold medals in cross-country skiing for Spain in 2002, but was later stripped of his gold medals for doping offenses.

Career

Fernández Ochoa made his international debut at age 17 at the 1968 Winter Olympics, where he finished 38th in the downhill and giant slalom, and 23rd in the slalom. His first top ten finish on the World Cup circuit was the following season, a sixth-place finish in the slalom at Megève, France, on January 26, 1969.

He was one of five siblings that raced for the Spanish alpine ski team and competed at the Winter Olympics (brothers Luís and Juan Manuel and sisters Dolores and Blanca). Blanca was the only other Spanish skier to win a medal at the Winter Olympics; she won the bronze in the women's slalom at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

Statue of Fernández Ochoa
in Cercedilla, Spain

Fernández Ochoa competed in four Winter Olympics (1968-80). He won only one World Cup race, a slalom in 1974 in Zakopane, Poland. Both of his career wins came over Gustav Thöni of Italy, the dominant technical ski racer of the early 1970s.

At the 1974 World Championships, Fernández Ochoa won a bronze medal in the slalom. His best season was 1975; he finished 9th in the overall standings and 7th in the slalom standings. He finished ninth in the slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

Fernández Ochoa retired from international competition at age 30, following the 1980 World Cup season, and finished with four World Cup podiums (top 3) and 30 top ten finishes. He then raced for several seasons on the pro tour in North America.

Fernández Ochoa died of lymphatic cancer at age 56 in Cercedilla, Community of Madrid in November 2006. Less than two weeks before his death, a statue of him was erected in Cercedilla. He was survived by his wife María Jesús Vargas (m. 1973) and their three children: Bárbara, Paula, and Francisco.
Francisco Fernández Ochoa City Ice Rink in Valdemoro, Madrid and Francisco Fernández Ochoa City Sports Center in Carabanchel, Madrid were named in his honor.

World Cup results

Season standings

Season Age Overall  Slalom  Giant
 Slalom 		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1969 18 38 20 — not run — not
awarded
1970 19 55 34 — —
1971 20 39 19 — —
1972 21 — — — —
1973 22 34 18 27 —
1974 23 15 8 — —
1975 24 9 7 — —
1976 25 — — — — —
1977 26 — — — — —
1978 27 63 — — — 19
1979 28 91 — — — —
1980 29 38 33 — — 5

Points were only awarded for top ten finishes thru 1979, top 15 thru 1991 (see scoring system).

Race podiums

  • 1 win (1 SL)
  • 4 podiums (2 SL, 2 K)
Season Date Location Discipline Place
1974 March 6, 1974 Poland Zakopane, Poland Slalom 1st
March 10, 1974 Czechoslovakia Vysoké Tatry, Czechoslovakia Slalom 3rd
1975 January 19, 1975 Austria Kitzbühel, Austria Combined 2nd
February 1, 1975 France Megève, France Combined 2nd

World Championship results

  Year    Location   Age   Slalom  Giant
 Slalom 		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1968 Grenoble, France 17 23 38 not
run		 38
1970 Val Gardena, Italy 19 9 9
1972 Sapporo, Japan 21 1 DSQ1 — —
1974 St. Moritz, Switzerland 23 3
1976 Innsbruck, Austria   25 9 24 35 6
1978 Garmisch, W. Germany 27
1980 Lake Placid, USA 29 22 22 27 5

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL).

Olympic results

  Year    Location   Age   Slalom  Giant
 Slalom 		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1968 Grenoble, France 17 23 38 not
run		 38 not
run
1972 Sapporo, Japan 21 1 DSQ1 —
1976 Innsbruck, Austria   25 9 24 35
1980 Lake Placid, USA 29 22 22 27

See also

References

  1. ^ Lang, Patrick (November 6, 2006). "Spanish gold medalist Fernandez Ochoa dies at 56". Ski Racing. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  2. ^ "Spaniard wins Slalom as Winter Games close". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. February 13, 1972. p. 1, sports.
  3. ^ "Gold medal in slalom was first ever won by Spain". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. February 14, 1972. p. B1.
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