Fernando Echavarri
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Sailing | ||
Representing  Spain
|
||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
2008 Beijing | Tornado class |
| World Championships | ||
|
2005 La Rochelle | Tornado class |
|
2007 Cascais | Tornado class |
Fernando Echavarri Erasun (born August 13, 1972 in Santander, Spain) is a professional yachtsman in the Olympic Tornado Class. Teaming with crew Antón Paz Blanco, he became Spanish, European, World Champion, ISAF Sailor of the year in 2005, Olympic Gold Medalist at the Beijing Games held in Qingdao.
Born and raised in Santander, Fernando's family moved to Pontevedra, Galicia when he was five due to his father medical practice as surgeon chief in the Montecelo Hospital. He has two brothers (Carlos and Javier) and one younger sister (Beatriz).
Fernando first sailed in a 38 feet ketch at age eight and soon joined the local sailing school where he excelled in the Optimist fleet of the ria de pontevedra. His brothers and sister soon joined him and made sailing their common passion, racing regattas all over Spain and Portugal. Although his parents (Carlos and Beatriz) did not sail, they adapted their spare time and vacations to their kids racing calendar, always encouraging them to enjoy the sport. At age 15, Fernando completed the Optimist class and entered the laser (dinghy) class sailing the standard rig while only 60 kg and 170 cm. Although only competitive in light conditions, he soon developed a special technique downwind that gave him fantastic results at a national level.
In 1992, at age 20, the International Sailing Federation chose the Laser (dinghy) as the new one-person dinghy to be competed in Atlanta 1996. At that time, Fernando had joined the Spanish military draft Servicio Militar in the Ejército de Tierra de España. It was in Spring 1993 that Fernando successfully passed the trials to become a member in the Spanish Pre-Olympic Sailing Team Royal Spanish Sailing Federation, a position he held from 1992 to 1996. During these years he was second in the nationals in 1995 and 1996, but missed the final cut to represent Spain in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. Although extremely competitive in light and mid air, his performance in windy conditions was not competitive enough. In order to enhance his competitiveness, he raced with a weighted jacket, but, as result, he developed a chronic back injury. A damage that although partially cured, still persist to this day.
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