Fermín Cacho facts for kids
Cacho in November 2011
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| Birth name | Fermín Cacho Ruiz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 February 1969 Ágreda, Spain |
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Medal record
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Fermín Cacho Ruiz, born on February 16, 1969, is a famous Spanish athlete. He is best known for his amazing achievements in track and field running. Fermín won a gold medal in the 1500-meter race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He also earned a silver medal in the same event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Born in Ágreda, Spain, Fermín Cacho had a very successful career in the 1500-meter race. Even though he had many great wins, his fastest times came later in his career.
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Fermín Cacho's Early Career Highlights
Fermín Cacho started making a name for himself in 1990. He won a silver medal in the 1500-meter race at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow. The next year, in 1991, he again finished second. This was at the World Indoor Championships in Seville, where he raced against the famous runner Noureddine Morceli.
Olympic Gold in Barcelona (1992)
When the Olympic Games came to Barcelona in 1992, many people didn't expect Fermín Cacho to win gold. However, the 1500-meter final race was run at a slow pace. This allowed Cacho to save his energy.
In the final lap, he found the perfect spot to make his move. He sprinted past his rivals, running the last lap in an incredible 50.6 seconds. This burst of speed helped him win the gold medal with a time of 3:40.12. It was a huge surprise and a fantastic victory for Spain.
World and European Championships
After his Olympic win, Fermín Cacho continued to compete at a high level. In 1993, he won a silver medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart. The following year, he claimed the 1500-meter title at the European Championships in Helsinki.
However, 1995 was a tougher year for him. At the World Championships in Gothenburg, he finished in eighth place.
Atlanta Olympics and Later Success
Fermín Cacho returned to top form in 1996, just before the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He was the defending Olympic champion in the 1500-meter race. Most people thought the final would be a battle between Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj. These two runners had taken the top spots at the previous year's World Championships.
The Dramatic Atlanta Race
During the Atlanta Olympic final, something dramatic happened. As they neared the end of the third lap, Morceli was in the lead, with El Guerrouj right behind him. Suddenly, El Guerrouj tripped and fell.
Fermín Cacho had to quickly jump over the fallen runner to avoid him. He later said this move cost him about 5 meters of ground. Morceli, who was ahead, started his final sprint. Cacho chased Morceli hard around the last lap, but he couldn't quite catch him. Morceli won the gold, and Fermín Cacho earned a well-deserved silver medal.
Continued Medals and Records
In 1997, Fermín Cacho won another silver medal at the World Championships in Athens. Later that same year, he finally ran his fastest time ever. He finished second in a 1500-meter race behind El Guerrouj, with an amazing time of 3:28.95. This made him the third-fastest 1500-meter runner in history at that time, only behind Morceli and El Guerrouj.
He continued to win medals, taking a bronze medal at the European Championships in Budapest. In 1999, he finished fourth at the World Championships in Seville.
Unfortunately, Fermín Cacho suffered an Achilles' tendon injury in 2000. This injury meant he couldn't compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He missed the chance to add more Olympic medals to his collection.
Fermín Cacho held the European record for the 1500-meter race for 16 years. His time of 3:28.95 stood from 1997 until 2013. That's when Mo Farah broke it with a slightly faster time of 3:28.81.
Images for kids
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Cacho in November 2011
See also
In Spanish: Fermín Cacho para niños
