SPAIN'S Winter Olympic squad has now left the snowy slopes in the Peking area and are on their way back to proud families, friends and followers, with over half of them full of tales of their first-ever Games.
The spectacular Winter Olympic closing ceremony in Peking
Week one saw Spain clinching our first medal above a bronze since 1972, only the second Spanish woman to gain a medal – snow-board rider Queralt Castellet, with a silver in halfpipe – and a fistful of Olympic diplomas.
First-timer Javier Lliso got one for sixth place in Big Air freestyle skiing, cross-country snow-boarder Lucas Eguibar earned a seventh-place diploma – his second, in three consecutive Games – and ice-dance duo Olivia Smart and Adrià Díaz have taken home an eighth-place diploma, the first time Spain has ever won anything in this field at a Winter Olympics.
This, along with having finished 13th at Sochi 2014 and 11th at Pyeongchang 2018 with his then ice-dancing partner Sara Hurtado, was enough to qualify Adrià to carry the Spanish flag at the closing ceremony.
For the opening ceremony, 'skeleton' rider Ander Mirambell, at his fourth Games, and Queralt Castellet, competing at her fifth and with a seventh-place diploma from Pyeongchang, carried the flag together.
Opening ceremony flag-bearers for Spain, ‘skeleton’ racer Ander Mirambell (left) and snow-boarder Queralt Castellet (right) (photo: Spanish Olympic Committee, or COE, via Nevasport.com)
Overall, results from the first week of this year's Winter Olympics meant Spain had already enjoyed at least equal success to the previous Games in South Korea four years earlier – fewer medals this time than the two bronzes in 2018, but a higher position, plus several 'firsts' and improved personal bests, and more diplomas.
But plenty of action was still left for the second week – here's how our 2022 national team fared.
Imanol Rojo matches his skiathlon position
Basque-born Imanol beat Spain's highest-finishing place in 15-kilometres freestyle skiing this year, ending 39th – the best sinceJosep Giró's 45th position at Sarajevo 1984 – and cracked his personal best in 30-kilometres skiathlon, with a time of 42 minutes, 15.2 seconds, ending 21st.
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