Ever wanted to be among the company of Olympians? Well, if you’re young enough and you’re reading this, you could consider it! This tradition from ancient Greece, the Olympic Games is the most important and complex sporting event in the world. Hundreds of people from all over the world meet every four years in a specified city to test their wits and carefully developed skills among many of the world’s elite physical performers in various sporting disciplines.
Since I’m from Spain, I wanted to bring a bit of a Spanish angle to our Olympic series and present some of our most decorated sportspeople in Spanish Olympians: 5 of the Most-Celebrated Athletes You Should Know!
1. David Cal
David competed in calm water canoeing, and was a single-seater canoe specialist at 500m and 1000m. He was Olympic champion in Athens 2004 and world champion in 2007. This Spanish athlete earned five medals (one gold and four silver).
2. Mireia Belmonte
Mireia is a swimmer par excellence. At the Olympic Games alone she won four medals: one gold, two silver and one bronze. The first two silver medals were won at London 2012. She won gold and bronze medals at her second Olympics, in Rio 2016.
However, Mireia Belmonte also stands out for winning six medals (one gold, four silver, and one bronze) at the World Championships and ten medals (seven gold, two silver, and one bronze) at the World Championships Short Course.
3. Joan Llaneras
This points race champion track cyclist from Mallorca achieved a total of four medals at the Olympics; one gold in Sydney 2000, a silver in Athens 2004 and a gold and a silver medal at Beijing 2008. In addition, he has won 12 medals at the Track Cycling World Championships.
4. Andrea Fuentes
A household name in the world of artistic and synchronized swimming, the three-time Olympian accumulated a tally of four Olympic medals; two silver at Beijing 2008, as well as a silver in duet and a bronze in the team event at London 2012. In addition, she’s also won sixteen World and eleven European medals.
5. Saúl Craviotto
A canoeist and policeman, specializing in kayaking, Saúl won a total of four medals at the Olympics (one gold at Beijing 2008, another gold at Rio 2012, and a silver and a bronze at London 2012. He also won three World Championship gold medals and three other European Championship gold medals, together with eight silver, and two bronze medals.
These are just some of the superb Olympians from Spain. Which country’s teams and Olympians are you looking out for and rooting for in Tokyo 2020 right now? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation this summer on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
