Joan Llaneras facts for kids
Llaneras in 2011
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joan Llaneras Rosselló |
| Born | 17 May 1969 Porreres, Spain |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 143 lb (65 kg) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Madison and points |
Joan Llaneras Rosselló (born May 17, 1969) is a retired Spanish cyclist who became a legend in track cycling. He is famous for winning two Olympic gold medals and seven World Championship titles. He was an expert in two exciting track events: the points race and the Madison.
Llaneras is from the town of Porreres on the island of Majorca, Spain. He is considered one of the greatest track cyclists of all time.
Contents
A Champion on the Track
Llaneras started his career as a road cyclist with the ONCE team. However, he soon discovered his true talent was on the cycling track, also known as a velodrome. He decided to focus on track cycling and became incredibly successful.
Over his career, Llaneras won four World Championships in the points race and three in the Madison. The Madison is a team event where riders have to skillfully "slingshot" their partners into the race.
Olympic Glory
Joan Llaneras competed in several Olympic Games and became a national hero in Spain.
- Sydney 2000: He won his first Olympic gold medal in the points race.
- Athens 2004: He earned a silver medal in the same event.
- Beijing 2008: In his final Olympics, he had an amazing performance. He won another gold medal in the points race. Just a few days later, he won a silver medal in the Madison event with his teammate Antonio Tauler.
With two gold and two silver medals, Llaneras became the Spanish athlete with the most Olympic medals at that time. He retired from cycling after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Overcoming a Difficult Time
In November 2006, Llaneras faced a very sad moment in his career. During a race, his Madison partner and good friend, Isaac Gálvez, was in a serious accident and passed away. Llaneras was deeply affected and thought about quitting cycling for good.
In an interview, he explained his feelings:
"Clearly I thought about leaving it all. It was the first reaction... but life goes on, and giving it all up, unfortunately, will not solve anything. In addition, the track is my life, is my dream, my family, it is almost everything to me."
Showing great strength, Llaneras decided to continue racing. He returned to the track in 2007 and went on to achieve his greatest Olympic success in 2008, dedicating his victories to his friend's memory.
Major Career Wins
Joan Llaneras won many races throughout his career. Here are some of his most important victories:
Olympic Games
- Gold Medal - Points Race (2000, 2008)
- Silver Medal - Points Race (2004)
- Silver Medal - Madison (2008)
World Championships
- Gold Medal - Points Race (1996, 1998, 2000, 2007)
- Gold Medal - Madison (1997, 1999, 2006)
- Silver Medal - Madison (2000, 2001)
- Silver Medal - Points Race (2003)
- Bronze Medal - Points Race (1997, 2005)
See also
In Spanish: Joan Llaneras para niños
