Francisco Fernández-Ochoa

Who was Francisco Fernández-Ochoa?

Francisco "Paquito" Fernández Ochoa was an alpine ski racer from Spain. Born in Madrid but 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 the slalom.

At the age of 21 he won an Olympic gold medal in the slalom at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. He is known for being the first Spaniard to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

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.

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.