Blanca Fernández Ochoa


Blanca Fernández Ochoa was a World Cup alpine ski racer from Spain. Born in Madrid, she competed in four Winter Olympics, from 1980 through 1992.

Career

Her four siblings all competed in alpine ski racing for Spain in the Winter Olympics: Dolores, Francisco, Juan Manuel, and Luis. Francisco won the gold medal in slalom at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
She received the Premio Reina Sofía for best athlete in 1983 and 1988 by Consejo Superior de Deportes at Premios Nacionales del Deporte. She also received the Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo in 1994. At the 1992 Olympics at Albertville, France, Blanca won the bronze medal in slalom.
During her World Cup career, she had 4 victories, 20 podiums, and 69 top ten finishes.
On July 18, 1991, she married Italian Daniel Fioretto in the Monastery of El Escorial. They ended up divorcing and she contracted a second marriage with David Fresneda, with whom she had two children, David and Olivia, although this marriage also ended in divorce. The children live with their father.
She was reported as missing on 23 August 2019 and found dead by a police officer on 4 September 2019 near La Peñota, in the Guadarrama Mountains. Policía Nacional believed it was not an accidental death in a safe area and there were not traumas. On 5 September 2019 it was declared she died from a suicide because lithium tablets and a bottle of wine were found near her body. She died the same day of the disappearance at the age of 56.

World Cup results

Season standings

Points were only awarded for top ten finishes thru 1979, top 15 thru 1991.

Race victories

SeasonDateLocationDiscipline
19853 March 1985 Vail, USAGiant slalom
198826 November 1987 Sestriere, ItalySlalom
199122 December 1990 Morzine, FranceSlalom
19921 December 1991 Lech, AustriaSlalom

World Championship results

Year Location Age Slalom Giant
Slalom
Super-GDownhillCombined
1980Lake Placid, United States1618
1982Schladming, Austria18
1985Bormio, Italy21149DNF
1987Crans-Montana, Switzerland235510
1989Vail, United States2547
1991Saalbach, Austria27DNF

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events.

Olympic results

Year Location Age Slalom Giant
Slalom
Super-GDownhillCombined
1980Lake Placid, United States1618not
run
not
run
1984Sarajevo, Yugoslavia20DNF26not
run
not
run
1988Calgary, Canada 245DNF221
1992Albertville, France28312