Spain at the Winter Olympics
Spain made its debut at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympic Games in Germany and has participated at the prominent sporting event from then on. Even though the Iberian nation is a tough nut to crack at the Summer Olympics, Spain is hardly felt at the Winter Games, in fact it has just won a couple of medals in alpine skiing.
Francisco Fernández Ochoa captured Spain’s first gold at the Winter Games by dominating the men’s slalom event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. The gold medal effort of 1972 world champion Ochoa also helped Spain garner the 13th place (of 17) at the Winter Games.
Alpine skiing gifted the nation’s second medal thanks to Francisco sister Blanca Fernández Ochoa who clinched the bronze medal in the women’s slalom event in alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.
Trivia
- The Fernández Ochoa family from Spain had five siblings (3 brothers, 2 sisters) compete in alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics: Francisco, Juan Manuel, Luis, Blanca and Dolores Fernández Ochoa. Their father ran a local ski school.
Related Pages
- About Sport in Spain
- Spain at the Summer Olympics
- More Winter Olympics Countries
- Winter Olympics main page.
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