Jon Santacana Maiztegui is a visually impaired skier who, with guide Miguel Galindo, is one of the best, but possibly most unlucky, performers in the men’s field.
Before Vancouver 2010, Santacana suffered a knee injury which very nearly ruled him out of his second Paralympic Games. However, he was determined to travel to Canada for what turned out to be a successful trip, winning downhill gold and a further two silver medals.
The following seasons proved to fruitful and injury free, with Santacana Maiztegui winning three world titles at 2011 World Championships. Then in 2013 at his home World Championships he won three gold medals in the downhill, giant slalom and super-G events.
But disaster was to strike once again in the year before a Paralympic Games, as Santacana Maiztegui tore his Achilles tendon, putting him out of action for six months.
And so the comeback King returned at the very last opportunity for the 2013-14 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals just weeks before the start of Sochi 2014. He went on to retain his Paralympic title.
In 2015, Santacana Maiztegui proved he is still amongst the best with one silver and two bronze medals.
In the following season, he took third in the slalom and giant slalom World Cup, finishing fifth in the overall men's visually impaired standings.
Off the slopes, Santacana is a keen surfer and mountain biker and he will be hoping to glide down the slopes in a similarly flawless fashion at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarivsio, Italy.
Photo Gallery
Biography
Impairment information
Further personal information
Sport specific information
General interest
In September 2013 he ruptured his Achilles tendon and could not return to training until January 2014. (marca.com, 17 Jan 2014)
In September 2012 he injured his leg and was unable to ski for three months. (paralympic.org, 12 Feb 2013)
He fractured the tibia and fibula bones in his lower leg two months before the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin. (noticiasdegipuzkoa.com, 14 Jan 2018)
He was named the 2014 Sportsman of the Year by the Sports Press Association of Guipuzcoa, Spain. (parasport-news.com, 30 Dec 2014)
He received the Royal Order Gold Medal for Sports Excellence from Spain's Minister of Sport in 2014. (paralympic.org, 02 Dec 2014)
He was flag bearer for Spain at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. (paralympic.org, 07 Mar 2014)
He was named the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] Athlete of the Month for January 2011 in recognition of his performances at the 2011 World Championships in Sestriere, Italy. He won three gold medals and two silver medals at the event. (paralympic.org, 2012)
He intends to retire from the sport after competing at the 2019 World Championships in Slovenia and Italy. "It gives you vertigo because you have invested a large part of your life in something and spent a lot of time living in a bubble of objectives and challenges, isolated from society in your work and training. But I've always set goals and I've achieved them in sports, so why not do it in life?" (20minutos.es, 03 May 2018)
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
---|
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Giant Slalom Visually impaired | Final Round | 2 | ||
Men's Super Combined Visually impaired | Final Round | 9999 | ||
Men's Super-G Visually impaired | Final Round | 5 | ||
Men's Downhill Visually impaired | Final Round | 1 | ||
Men's Slalom Visually impaired | Final Round | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Super-Combined VI | Final | 2009-02-23 | 1 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Final | 2009-02-23 | 2 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Run 2 | 2009-02-24 | 2 | |
Men's Downhill VI | Final | 2009-02-28 | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill VI | Final | 2011-01-16 | 2 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Final | 2011-01-18 | 1 | |
Men's Super-Combined VI | Final | 2011-01-19 | 1 | |
Men's Slalom VI | Final | 2011-01-20 | 2 | |
Men's Giant Slalom VI | Final | 2011-01-21 | 1 | |
Mixed Team Event VI/Sitting/Standing | Final | 2011-01-23 | 8 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-20 | 1 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-21 | 1 | |
Men's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-24 | 9999 | |
Men's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-25 | 9999 | |
Men's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-26 | 1 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-08 | 1 | |
Men's Super-G Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-09 | 4 | |
Men's Slalom Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-13 | 2 | |
Men's Super Combined Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-14 | 9999 | |
Men's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-15 | 4 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-04 | 9999 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-05 | 4 | |
Men's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-07 | 3 | |
Men's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-08 | 2 | |
Men's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-10 | 3 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-25 | 2 | |
Men's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-26 | 9999 | |
Men's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-28 | 4 | |
Men's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-30 | 3 | |
Men's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-31 | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Downhill Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-10 | 4 | |
Men's Super-G Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-11 | 4 | |
Men's Super Combined Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-13 | 2 | |
Men's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-14 | 7 | |
Men's Slalom Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-17 | 9999 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Men's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2019-01-21 | 5 | |
Men's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2019-01-23 | 9999 |