Blanca Fernández Ochoa

Blanca Fernández Ochoa belonged to a family of alpine skiers, with four of her seven siblings competing in the Olympics: Luis, Juan Manuel, Dolores and Francisco, who became Spain’s first Winter Olympic champion in 1972. Debuting in the World Cup in 1980, Blanca Fernández proved most successful in the slalom and giant slalom events. Between 1985 and 1991, she won four World Cup races (three in slalom, one in giant slalom). In 1988, she reached fourth place in the overall World Cup, while placing third in single event World Cups on four occasions. Although a consistent top 10 performer at international championships, Fernández never medalled until the Albertville Olympics slalom. After a second place in the first run, she barely managed to cling on to the bronze medal with a seventh spot in the second run, closing out her career with an Olympic medal.

In 2019, Fernández Ochoa was seen on video surveillance at a shopping mall on 24 August. That was the last she was seen alive. She was not seen for several days and a massive search ensued. Finally, on 4 September 2019, her body was found near La Peñota, in the Sierra de Guadarrama. The exact date of death cannot be determined.