Jon Santacana Maiztegui facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jon Santacana

Jon Santacana at the 2013 IPC World Championships held in La Molina, Spain.
Personal information
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1980-11-01) 1 November 1980 (age 44) San Sebestian, Guipúzcoa, Spain
Sport
Country	Spain
Sport	Alpine skiing
Event(s)	Downhill Slalom Giant slalom Super combined Super G
Coached by	Jordi 'Carbu' Carbonell
Medal record Men's para alpine skiing Representing  Spain Paralympic Games Gold 2002 Salt Lake City Giant slalom, visually impaired Gold 2010 Vancouver Downhill, visually impaired Gold 2014 Sochi Downhill, visually impaired Silver 2010 Vancouver Slalom, visually impaired Silver 2010 Vancouver Giant slalom, visually impaired Silver 2014 Sochi Slalom, visually impaired Silver 2018 Pyeongchang Super combined, visually impaired Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City Downhill, visually impaired Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City Super-G, visually impaired World Championships Gold 2013 La Molina Downhill, visually impaired Gold 2013 La Molina Giant slalom, visually impaired Silver 2015 Panorama Giant slalom, visually impaired Silver 2017 Tarvisio Downhill, visually impaired Silver 2017 Tarvisio Slalom, visually impaired Bronze 2015 Panorama Super combined, visually impaired Bronze 2015 Panorama Slalom, visually impaired Bronze 2017 Tarvisio Giant slalom, visually impaired

Jon Santacana Maiztegui, born on November 1, 1980, is a famous Spanish para-alpine skier. He is a visually impaired athlete, which means he can't see very well. His trusted guide, Miguel Galindo, helps him ski down the mountains. Jon has won many medals in big competitions like the Paralympic Games and the World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. He even won a gold medal and two silver medals at the 2010 Winter Paralympics!

About Jon Santacana

Jon was born in San Sebastian, Spain, on November 1, 1980. He lives in Getxo, Spain. When he was eight years old, Jon developed a vision problem. This was due to a genetic condition. Despite this, he became a top athlete.

Jon's Skiing Career

Jon Santacana is a B2 classified visually impaired skier. This means he has some vision, but it's very limited. His guide, Miguel Galindo, skis in front of him. Miguel tells Jon about the turns and bumps on the slope. This teamwork is super important for their success.

Early Success and Challenges

Jon won a gold medal at the World Championships in Switzerland in 2000. In 2005, he had a bad fall while skiing in Spain. This injury kept him from skiing for a while. He worked hard to recover before the 2006 Winter Paralympics.

European and World Cup Achievements

Jon had a great 2006/2007 season. He won a gold medal in the overall European Cup. He also finished second in the World Cup that season. In 2008, he again finished second in the European Cup. He was third in the World Cup.

In the 2008/2009 season, Jon started strong. He was in first place after the first World Cup event. He also won a gold and two silver medals at the 2009 World Championships in South Korea. His gold medal was in the Super Combined event.

More World Cup Medals

In 2010, Jon and Miguel earned a bronze medal in giant slalom in Austria. This was at a World Cup event. They finished fifth in the first run and second in the second run. Later that year, they won a gold medal at the World Cup event in Aspen, Colorado. This was just before the 2010 Paralympic Games. He also got a bronze medal in giant slalom there.

Jon continued to excel. In November 2010, he won a gold medal in downhill in the Netherlands. At the 2011 World Championships in Italy, he finished first in the Super-G event. In 2012, he won gold medals in slalom, giant slalom, and Super G at the Spanish National Championships. He also won a giant slalom World Cup event in Italy.

Injuries and Comebacks

In September 2012, Jon tore his Achilles tendon. This was a serious injury. But he recovered and came back strong. In January 2013, he won a gold medal in giant slalom at a World Cup event in Switzerland. He also won three gold medals at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships that year.

At the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships, Jon won two silver medals. These were in downhill and slalom. He also earned a bronze medal in giant slalom.

Jon at the Paralympics

Jon Santacana has competed in several Winter Paralympic Games. He has won many medals for Spain.

2002 Winter Paralympics

Jon won a gold medal and two bronze medals at the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City. This was a fantastic start to his Paralympic career.

Preparing for Vancouver 2010

In 2009, Jon prepared for the Vancouver Games. He attended special training events in Madrid. The whole Spanish team arrived in Whistler, Canada, by February 7, 2010. This gave them time to get ready.

Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympics

Jon Santacana at the 2013 IPC World Championships.

Jon's guide for the 2010 Winter Paralympics was Miguel Galindo. They faced some challenges, like fog changing the schedule. But they still performed amazingly. They won a gold medal in the men's visually impaired downhill event. This was the first gold medal for Spain at those Games! Jon was ranked second in the world for downhill skiing before Vancouver.

He also won two silver medals at the 2010 Games. One was in slalom and the other in giant slalom. He finished the 2010 Games with one gold and two silver medals. After the Games, the Spanish Paralympic team was celebrated.

Paralympic Results Table

See also

In Spanish: Jon Santacana para niños