Víctor Palomo facts for kids

Víctor Palomo (born May 26, 1948 – died February 11, 1985) was a Spanish sports star. He was a world champion in water skiing. He also raced motorcycles in Grand Prix events. Plus, he was an Olympic bobsleigh pilot.

Sporting Career Highlights

Víctor Palomo was born in Barcelona, Spain. He started water skiing in 1959. By 1964, he won the Spanish national water skiing championship for young people. He also became the European Junior Champion. He won this European title two more times.

Olympic Bobsleigh Experience

In 1968, Palomo joined the Spanish bobsleigh team. He represented Spain in the 1968 Winter Olympics. These games took place in Grenoble, France.

Water Skiing World Champion

In 1969, at age 21, Palomo won the water skiing slalom world championship. This was a huge achievement for him.

Switch to Motorcycle Racing

The next year, Palomo broke both knees during a training accident. After he recovered, he bought a ČZ motorcycle in Belgium. He then started racing in motocross competitions. In 1971, Palomo stopped water skiing. He wanted to focus completely on motorcycle racing.

He raced off-road on an Ossa enduro motorcycle. But another injury made him change to road racing. In 1972, the Gus Kuhn team agreed to sponsor him. He raced a Norton motorcycle in the UK and Europe. Barry Sheene, another famous racer, helped Palomo get his privateer Yamaha ready for Grand Prix racing.

First Grand Prix Success

Palomo got his first podium finish in 1973. This was at the 350cc German Grand Prix. He finished second, right behind Teuvo Länsivuori. Later that year, at the Nations Grand Prix in Monza, he was involved in a sad accident. This accident led to the deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini.

Palomo was injured in June after crashing at the Yugoslavian Grand Prix. This meant he missed the rest of the 1973 season. He also missed part of the 1974 season. After recovering, he won the 1974 350cc Spanish Grand Prix. This race was held on his home track, the Montjuich Circuit. In 1975, he raced in the 250cc, 350cc, and Formula 750 championships.

Winning the Formula 750 Championship

His best year was 1976. He finished sixth in the 350cc world championship. He also won the 1976 Formula 750 world championship. He rode a Yamaha motorcycle. The results of the Venezuelan Formula 750 race were confusing. This made the championship's final standings a bit controversial.

Kawasaki's Gary Nixon seemed to have won the second part of the Venezuelan race. However, the race organizers said Yamaha's Steve Baker was the winner. Palomo was named champion. He won three races based on total time, even though he didn't win any single race part. If Nixon had been given the win in Venezuela, he would have won the world championship by one point. Nixon protested the results to the FIM. But the FIM decided to remove the results of that event, so Nixon's appeal was denied.

Later Racing Years

Palomo's 1977 season started well. But he suffered serious spinal cord injuries at a non-championship event. This happened at the Paul Ricard Circuit. He tried to race again too soon. This led to another crash, and he had to take more time off to heal.

In 1978, he raced in the Spanish 750cc national championship. He returned to the world championships in 1979. He also teamed up with 250 World Champion Mario Lega in the FIM Endurance World Championship on a Ducati. At the 24 Hours of Montjuich race, Palomo had another serious accident. This accident badly broke his leg. The operations led to more problems. He could not race again until 1981. In 1982, he entered several World Championship races. He competed in the 250cc and 500cc classes. But he had yet another accident.

Death

Víctor Palomo had many complicated operations. He also received treatments to help his bones heal. He was taking strong pain medications. Combined with his diabetes, these caused serious side effects. His heart and liver began to fail. This led to his death in 1985. He was 36 years old and passed away in Girona, Spain.

See also

In Spanish: Víctor Palomo para niños