Félix Aznar facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | Spain |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Sport | Para-alpine skiing |
| Event(s) | Downhill Slalom Giant slalom Super combined Super G |
Félix Aznar is a talented Spanish skier. He plays a very important role as a guide for para-alpine skiers, who are athletes with visual impairments. He has helped famous Paralympic skiers like Andrés Boira and Gabriel Gorce compete in major events. Félix even skied with Gabriel Gorce at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, which is a huge international competition for athletes with disabilities. He has also competed in the European Cup and the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup as a guide skier.
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Guiding Paralympic Skiers
Félix Aznar's main role in para-alpine skiing is being a guide-skier. This means he skis just ahead of a visually impaired athlete, telling them about the turns, bumps, and changes in the slope. This helps the athlete navigate the course safely and quickly.
Skiing with Andrés Boira
Félix Aznar first became well-known as a guide for Andrés Boira. Together, they achieved some great results:
- In the 2006/2007 European Cup season, they finished in second place overall.
- At the 2007 Paralympic Winter World Cup, they won a medal.
- At the Italian National Championships in March 2008, they came in second in the Super G event and also second in the slalom.
- They competed in the final round of the European Cup in March 2008, held in La Molina, Spain.
- For the 2007/2008 European Cup season, they finished eighth overall after five races.
In February 2009, Félix and Andrés competed at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships. They finished sixth in the Super Combined event. In March 2009, they raced in the European Cup Alpine skiing for the Disabled. They won first place in the slalom event! They also finished fifth in the giant slalom, seventh in Super G, and eighth in the Super Combined event. Overall, they ended up in fourth place with 475 points.
Preparing for the Paralympics
In November 2009, Félix Aznar started working with Gabriel Gorce as his guide skier. They attended a special training event in Madrid. This training was part of their preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Games. After that, they continued their team training at a special center in Gerona, Spain.
Before the 2010 Games, Félix and Gabriel competed in the Aspen, Colorado IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup. Félix had 199 World Cup points, ranking eleventh in the competition. This was the final big race before the Paralympics.
At the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Before heading to Vancouver for the 2010 Games, Félix Aznar took part in a special send-off ceremony. Important officials attended, showing how much support the Spanish team had. Félix was chosen for the 2010 Paralympic team partly because of his age. The Spanish Paralympic Committee believed that investing in him would mean he could guide for many Paralympic Games to come.
The entire Spanish team arrived in Whistler, Canada, by February 7, ready for the Games. Félix was Gabriel Gorce's guide during the competition. They even shared a room in the Paralympic Village, which is where all the athletes stay.
During the Games, Félix and Gabriel faced some challenges. They were disqualified from the downhill event because Gabriel missed a gate. Also, foggy weather in Vancouver caused some of their ski events to be rescheduled.
After the Games, the Spanish Paralympic team, including Félix, attended a welcome-back celebration. This event was held at the ONCE Foundation and was also attended by Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, a member of the Spanish Royal Family.
