Javier Fernández López (; born 15 April 1991) is a Spanish former
figure skater
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
. He is the
2018 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time
World
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
champion (2015, 2016), a two-time
World
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
bronze medalist (2013, 2014), a seven-time
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
champion (2013–2019), a two-time
Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
silver medalist (2014, 2015), a three-time
Rostelecom Cup
The Rostelecom Cup (russian: Кубок Ростелекома), formerly the Cup of Russia (russian: Кубок России), is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating ser ...
champion (2014–2016), a two-time
Grand Prix in France champion (2016–2017) and an eight-time
Spanish national champion (2010, 2012–2018).
In addition to his bronze medal at the
2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
, Fernández placed 14th at the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
and 4th at the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
.
He is the first skater from Spain to medal at an Olympic Games,
ISU Championship or a
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event.
Fernández is the second man to break the 100-point barrier in the short program,
the 200-point barrier in the long program,
and the 300-point barrier in the total score.
As of 24 May 2017, he has the second highest personal best scores in both segments and third highest in the combined score.
In recognition of his achievements, Fernández received the Gold Medal of the
Royal Order of Sports Merit
The Royal Order of Sports Merit ( es, Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo) is a Spanish civil order of merit established in 18 June 1982. The order is indented to recognise distinguished service in sports, in teaching physical education, or the man ...
by the
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
on 19 April 2016.
Personal life
Javier Fernández López was born on 15 April 1991 in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
.
He is the younger of two children born to Enriqueta, a mail carrier, and Antonio, an army mechanic.
Their father stated, "Between the two children we were spending €450 a month when my earnings were less than €1,500". When Javier went to the United States to train, Antonio took a second job repairing helicopters to cover the expenses.
His older sister, Laura, competed in ladies' singles and
ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
.
Fernández intends to become a coach after his competitive skating career ends.
He is a fan of
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn ...
Fernández relocated to
in the United States in the late summer of 2008.
He moved to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada in the summer of 2011.
Career
Early career
Fernández started skating at the age of six, after his older sister began taking lessons.
For a while, he also played soccer, tennis, and ice hockey, but dropped the other sports to focus on skating at age eight.
He skated at a small rink in the San Martín district before switching a year later to a rink in
Majadahonda
Majadahonda () is a municipality in Spain, situated northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid.
It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid-A Coruña.
The Puerta de Hierro university (public) hospital was relocated to Majadahonda from the wes ...
.
One of his earliest coaches was Carolina Sanz, who stated that he had natural talent but initially lacked discipline.
Fernández landed his first triple jump at the age of 12.
He had to leave Majadahonda after his sister decided to switch to the Jaca skating club, which offered to cover her costs. The youngest Fernández joined his sister in Jaca six months later.
Fernández began skating in senior events in the 2006–2007 season, but failed to qualify for the free skate at the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
and the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in his debut season.
After two years in Jaca, where he had been teased and discouraged by a lack of improvement in his skating, he returned to Madrid and considered switching to hockey.
2008–09 season
In 2008, Fernández attended a summer camp in
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
where Russian coach
Nikolai Morozov was an instructor.
Morozov offered to train him in the United States and Fernández quickly agreed.
Fernández relocated to
in late summer 2008.
Although he shared an apartment with a Spanish coach and Morozov charged him nothing for coaching, his expenses in the United States were between €2,000 and €3,000 a month and he received no financial support from Spain.
Fernández had a breakthrough season in 2008–2009, finishing 11th at the
2009 European Championships and qualifying an Olympic spot for Spain with his 19th-place result at the
2009 World Championships. He was the first Spanish men's skater to qualify for the Olympics since 1956.
2009–10 season
Fernández received his first senior
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
assignment, the
2009 Trophée Eric Bompard where he finished 11th. He was eighth at the
2010 European Championships, earning two spots for Spain in the following year's event. In his first
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, Fernández placed 16th in the short program, 10th in the free skate, and finished 14th overall. He was the first man in half a century to compete for Spain in Olympic figure skating – since the
1956 Olympics when Dario Villalba competed.
Fernández set a new personal best score on his way to a 12th-place finish at the
2010 World Championships. He added the 4T to his jump repertoire in the 2009–10 season.
2010–11 season
![2011 Figure Skating WC Javier Fernandez](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/2011_Figure_Skating_WC_Javier_Fernandez.jpg)
After Morozov moved back to Russia, Fernández trained with him in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and also
Daugavpils
Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...
in neighboring Latvia. His assigned events for the
2010–11 ISU Grand Prix season were the
2010 Skate Canada International and the
2010 Cup of Russia
The 2010 Cup of Russia was the fifth event of six in the 2010–11 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Megasport Arena in Moscow on November 18–21. Medals were awarde ...
.
He placed fifth at Skate Canada and ninth at Cup of Russia. At the 2011
Spanish Championships, Fernández cut his hand during the warm-up and received medical attention for twenty minutes, leaving him no time to warm up again.
He was unable to defend his title, placing second behind
Javier Raya
Francisco Javier Raya Buenache (born 20 April 1991) is a Spanish figure skater. He is the 2011 Spanish Figure Skating Championships, Spanish national senior champion and has competed in the free skate at eight ISU Figure Skating Championships, IS ...
. Since Spain had two men's slots at the
2011 European Championships due to Fernández' result the previous year, both skaters were sent to
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
, Switzerland. Fernández fell twice in the short program, leaving him in eleventh place, but was able to move up to ninth after the free skate and once again earned two spots for Spain at the next Europeans. At the
2011 World Championships, Fernández landed two different quads, (
toe loop
The toe loop jump is the simplest jump in the sport of figure skating. It was invented in the 1920s by American professional figure skater Bruce Mapes. The toe loop is accomplished with a forward approach on the inside edge of the blade; the ska ...
and
Salchow), in the free skate. He earned his first top-ten finish at the event, giving Spain two spots for the
2012 Worlds men's event.
In June 2011, Fernández confirmed that he was no longer working with Morozov and would temporarily train in Canada with
Brian Orser
Brian Ernest Orser, (born 18 December 1961) is a Canadian former competitive and professional figure skater and coach to Olympic champions. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist, 1987 World champion and eight-time (1981–88) Can ...
.
This was due to instability resulting from Morozov's training group moving around frequently
and Morozov's focus on
Florent Amodio
Florent Amodio (born 12 May 1990) is a French figure skating coach and former competitor. He is the 2011 European champion, a four-time French national champion (2010, 2013-2015), and the 2008 JGP Final champion. He has represented France at t ...
.
He said that adding a quad to his short program and improving his basic skating were some of his goals for the
2011–12 season.
2011–12 season
![2011 Skate Canada Javier Fernández](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/2011_Skate_Canada_Javier_Fern%C3%A1ndez.jpg)
Fernández finished 4th at his first competition of the season, the
2011 Nebelhorn Trophy
The 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy took place on September 21–24, 2011 at the Eislaufzentrum Oberstdorf. It is held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany and is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain.
It was one of the first international senior competi ...
. At an interview conducted at the event, he said that he would continue to train in Canada, with David Wilson and
Jeffrey Buttle
Jeffrey "Jeff" Buttle (born September 1, 1982) is a Canadian figure skater and choreographer. He is the 2006 Winter Olympics bronze medalist, the 2008 World champion, the 2002 and 2004 Four Continents champion and the 2005–2007 Canadian cha ...
as his choreographers.
Fernández and Orser said they were working on saving energy and improving spins, transitions and skating skills.
His assigned events for the
2011–12 Grand Prix season were
Skate Canada
Skate Canada ( Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual ...
and
Cup of Russia
The Rostelecom Cup (russian: Кубок Ростелекома), formerly the Cup of Russia (russian: Кубок России), is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating seri ...
. At Skate Canada, Fernández executed the only clean quadruple jump in the short program to take the lead over
Daisuke Takahashi
is a common masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Daisuke can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*大輔, "big, assist"
*大介, "big, mediate"
*大祐, "big, bless"
*大助, "big, help"
*大典, "big, law/rule ...
and
Patrick Chan
Patrick Lewis Wai–Kuan Chan (born December 31, 1990) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is a 2018 Olympic gold medallist in the team event, 2014 Olympic silver medallist in the men's and team events, a three–time World ch ...
.
He placed second in the free skate and won the silver medal overall, exceeding his combined total personal best by over thirty points. He became the first Spanish skater to win a Grand Prix medal.
At the
Cup of Russia
The Rostelecom Cup (russian: Кубок Ростелекома), formerly the Cup of Russia (russian: Кубок России), is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating seri ...
, he placed fourth in the short program, first in the free skate, and finished second overall with an overall total of 241.63 points — only 0.03 behind gold medalist
Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
of Japan.
Fernández became the first Spanish skater to ever qualify for the
Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies' ...
when he qualified for the
2011–12 event. In Quebec City, he was third in the short program and fourth in the long to win the bronze medal, and in so doing, became the first Spaniard to medal at a Grand Prix Final.
Fernández reclaimed his national title, winning by over eighty points.
The remainder of the season proved less successful for Fernández. Although considered a medal favorite at the
2012 Europeans, he finished sixth.
At the
2012 World Championships, Fernández placed fifth in the short program but dropped to ninth overall after the free skate.
After these results, he agreed to perform full run-throughs of his programs more frequently in practice.
2012–13 season
Fernández started his season at the
2012 Finlandia Trophy
The 2012 Finlandia Trophy was an international figure skating competition in the 2012–13 season. The 17th edition of the annual event was held on October 5–7, 2012 at the Barona Arena in Espoo. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's ...
where he won the bronze medal. His first
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event of the season was
Skate Canada
Skate Canada ( Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual ...
, where he beat defending Skate Canada and World champion,
Patrick Chan
Patrick Lewis Wai–Kuan Chan (born December 31, 1990) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is a 2018 Olympic gold medallist in the team event, 2014 Olympic silver medallist in the men's and team events, a three–time World ch ...
, to take the gold medal. Fernández became the first Spaniard to win a gold medal in the Grand Prix series. Despite his fourth place at the
2012 NHK Trophy, he qualified for the
Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
. He finished fourth overall at the final after winning the free program with a 4S-3T jump combination, 4S, and 4T.
He became the second European to execute three quads in one program — the first being
Brian Joubert
Brian Joubert (; born 20 September 1984) is a French figure skating coach and former competitor. He is the 2007 World champion, a three-time (2004, 2007 & 2009) European champion, and the 2006–07 Grand Prix Final champion. On the domestic le ...
who landed a 4T-2T combination, 4T, and 4S at the
2006 Cup of Russia
The 2006 Cup of Russia was the fifth event of six in the 2006–07 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow on November 23–26. Medal ...
— and the first European to do so with a quad-triple combination.
![Skate Canada 2012 – Men](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Skate_Canada_2012_%E2%80%93_Men.jpg)
In December 2012, Fernández won his third national title.
At the
2013 European Championships he missed some practice time due to his skates being lost at the airport, but they were found one day before the start of the competition.
Second in the short program, Fernández then placed first in the free skate, landing three quads jumps with one in combination.
He won the gold medal and became the first Spanish skater to win a European title.
He posted a new personal best overall score of 274.87 points. He later joked, "I have to make sure I lose my skates again!"
At this time, Spain had just 14 indoor rinks and 600 registered figure skaters.
At the
2013 World Championships in
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, Fernández placed 7th in the short program and 4th in the free skate. His total score of 249.06 points won him the bronze medal behind three-time World champion Patrick Chan and silver medalist
Denis Ten
Denis Yurievich Ten ( kk, Денис Юрийұлы Тен; russian: Денис Юрьевич Тен; 13 June 1993 – 19 July 2018) was a Kazakhstani figure skater. He was the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist (silver i ...
. He became the first Spanish skater to stand on a World Championships podium in figure skating.
2013–14 season
In October 2013, Fernández was invited to skate at the
2013 Japan Open as part of Team Europe alongside
Michal Březina
Michal Březina (; born 30 March 1990) is a retired Czech figure skater. He is the 2013 European bronze medalist, 2011 Skate America champion, 2009 World Junior silver medalist and four-time Czech national champion. He also won the 2014-15 ISU ...
,
Adelina Sotnikova
Adelina Dmitriyevna Sotnikova (russian: link=no, Адели́на Дми́триевна Со́тникова ; born 1 July 1996) is a retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2014 Olympic champion, a two-time European silver medalist (2012, ...
and
Irina Slutskaya
Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya ( rus, Ирина Эдуардовна Слуцкая, , ɪˈrʲinə ɨdʊˈardəvnə ˈslutskəjə, Ru-Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya.ogg; born 9 February 1979) is a Russian former figure skater. She is a two-time World ...
. He scored 176.91 points in the free program and won the men's event while Team Europe placed third. In the
2013–14 Grand Prix season, Fernández placed fifth at the
2013 NHK Trophy and third at the
2013 Rostelecom Cup, not enough to qualify for the
Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
. In December, he won his fourth national title.
Fernández chose to use old skates after struggling with two new pairs of boots.
He entered the
2014 European Championships in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Hungary, as the defending champion. He placed first in the short program with a clean skate, 6 points ahead of Russia's
Sergei Voronov. His score of 91.56 was a new personal best at the time
[ – the first occasion he crossed the 90 point mark in international competition. In his free skate, Fernández completed three quads (stepping out of the opening toe loop and the second quad Salchow), a triple Axel and five more triples, but doubled a Lutz and underrotated the second jump of his quad Salchow-triple toe loop combination. He scored 175.55 points in the segment, 267.11 points overall, and won the European title for the second year in a row.][
In February, Fernández competed in the men's singles event at the ]2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, Russia. He was the flag bearer for Spain during the opening ceremony.[ Earning 86.98 points in the short program, he placed third behind ]Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
and Patrick Chan
Patrick Lewis Wai–Kuan Chan (born December 31, 1990) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is a 2018 Olympic gold medallist in the team event, 2014 Olympic silver medallist in the men's and team events, a three–time World ch ...
, having stepped out of his quad Salchow and triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. In the free skate, he landed a quad toe loop and a quad Salchow – the latter in combination – but tripled a second quad Salchow attempt. He went on to complete another triple Salchow as the last jump of his skate, which – having been repeated in the program – was rated as an invalid element, and received no points.[ He placed fifth in the free skate segment with 166.94 points, ultimately coming in fourth, 1.18 points behind Olympic bronze medalist ]Denis Ten
Denis Yurievich Ten ( kk, Денис Юрийұлы Тен; russian: Денис Юрьевич Тен; 13 June 1993 – 19 July 2018) was a Kazakhstani figure skater. He was the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist (silver i ...
of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
.
Fernández ended his season at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. He skated a clean short program and earned 96.42 points, improving on his personal best in the segment by 4.86 points.[ He stood in third place behind Sochi Olympic champion ]Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
and Tatsuki Machida
(born March 9, 1990) is a Japanese retired figure skater. He is the 2014 World silver medalist, the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist, and the 2013–14 Japanese national silver medalist. Machida is the winner of four Grand Prix events — ...
of Japan. He landed three quads in his free skate along with five triples, but singled a planned triple Lutz and added only a double as the second jump of his quad Salchow combination.[ He placed third in the segment with 179.51 points for a total score of 275.93, and repeated as World bronze medalist, behind Hanyu (gold) and Machida (silver).
]
2014–15 season
Fernández originally planned to sit out of the Grand Prix series but decided to take part after he found out that the Final would be held in his home country.
Fernández began his Grand Prix season with a silver medal at the 2014 Skate Canada International
The 2014 Skate Canada International was the second event of six in the 2014–15 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia on Oct ...
, finishing eleven points behind Japan's Takahito Mura
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is the 2014 Four Continents champion, 2014 Skate Canada International champion, and 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard champion. Nationally, he is a five-time Japan Championships bronze medalist ...
. Defeating Russia's Sergei Voronov by thirteen points, he won gold at the 2014 Rostelecom Cup and qualified for his third Grand Prix Final
The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...
. At the Final, held in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Fernández placed fifth in the short program after he fell on his quadruple Salchow jump, doubled the first jump of his planned tiple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, and stumbled during connecting steps. He scored 79.18 points, trailing leader Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
by almost 15 points. He recovered to place second in the free skate, again behind Hanyu, with a program that included two quad jumps, six triple jumps, and level-four spins and footwork, but he tripled a planned quad Salchow jump[ and singled a triple Lutz jump.] He scored 174.72 points in the free skate, and 253.90 in total. Overall, he won the silver medal behind Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
.
At the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Fernández took the lead in the short program after he stepped out of his quad Salchow and the second jump of his triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, but completed a triple Axel jump and level-four spins and footwork, scoring 89.24 points in the segment. In the free skate, he completed a quad toe loop and six triple jumps, but fell on a quad Salchow jump attempt and tripled another. Despite the errors, he won the free skate with 173.25 points, more than 15 points ahead of Russia's Maxim Kovtun
Maxim Pavlovich Kovtun (russian: Максим Павлович Ковтун; born 18 June 1995) is a retired Russian figure skater. He is a three-time European medalist (silver in 2015 and 2017, bronze in 2016) and four-time (2014, 2015, 2016, 2 ...
, and claimed his third consecutive European title with a total of 262.49 points.
Fernández skated a clean short program at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, which included a quad Salchow, a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple Axel and level-four spins. But his step sequence was rated level-three and his triple Axel was not perfect. He earned 92.74 points and stood in second place, less than 2.5 points behind Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
. He produced a free skate with two quads, six triples, level-four spins and level-three step sequence. His only major error was a fall on a quad Salchow attempt. He placed second in the segment with 181.16 points – his strongest free skate of the season – more than 5 points ahead of Hanyu and just 0.67 behind Kazakhstan's Denis Ten
Denis Yurievich Ten ( kk, Денис Юрийұлы Тен; russian: Денис Юрьевич Тен; 13 June 1993 – 19 July 2018) was a Kazakhstani figure skater. He was the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist (silver i ...
. Overall, he outscored Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
(silver) and Olympic bronze medalist Denis Ten
Denis Yurievich Ten ( kk, Денис Юрийұлы Тен; russian: Денис Юрьевич Тен; 13 June 1993 – 19 July 2018) was a Kazakhstani figure skater. He was the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist (silver i ...
(bronze) for the gold medal, having received a total of 273.90 points. He became the first skater from Spain to win a world title in figure skating.
2015–16 season
During the 2015–16 Grand Prix series, Fernández won gold at both of his events, the 2015 Cup of China
The 2015 Cup of China was the third event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on November 6–8. Medals were ...
and 2015 Rostelecom Cup, and qualified for the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. Second to Hanyu in both segments in Barcelona, he won silver in the Grand Prix Final for the second year in a row. In the free program, he landed his three planned quadruple jumps and scored 201.43 points, becoming the second skater in history to receive over 200 points in this segment.
Fernández defended his national title at the Spanish Championships in December 2015, attempting and completing two quadruple jumps[ in the short program for the first time in his career (a quad toe loop in combination with a triple toe loop, and a quad Salchow).][
At the 2016 European Championships in ]Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
, Fernández successfully landed a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, quad Salchow, and triple Axel to score a new personal best of 102.54 points in the short program. With this score, he became only the second man in history to break 100 points in that segment. With a 14-point advantage going into the free skate, Fernández landed three quadruple jumps, but fell on the second triple Axel of the program (which he had just added).[ He scored 200.23 points, for a combined total of 302.77, becoming the second skater in history to cross the 300 point mark.] He finished ahead of silver medalist Oleksii Bychenko
Alexei Bychenko ( he, אלכסיי ביצ'נקו; uk, Олексій Юрійович Биченко; born 5 February 1988) is a retired Ukrainian-born Israeli figure skater. He represented Ukraine through 2009 and Israel after that. He is the 2 ...
by a margin of over 60 points.
Entering the 2016 World Championships in Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
as the defending champion, Fernández opened his short program with a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, then fell on his quad Salchow attempt, but recovered to complete a triple Axel, two level-four spins and level-four footwork, scoring 98.52 points and securing second place. After the short program, he could do little practice due to a recurring bursa
( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...
on the heel of his right foot. On the day of the free skate, the medical team of the event attended to his injury for several hours and helped him to alleviate the problem. Fernández entered the free skate segment with a 12.04 deficit behind Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
– the largest point gap at the time between first and second place after the short program in any discipline at a World Championships or Olympic Games under the ISU judging system
The ISU Judging System (or the International Judging System (IJS)), occasionally referred to as the Code of Points (COP) system, is the scoring system that has been used since 2004 to judge the figure skating disciplines of men's and ladies' sin ...
. Fernández completed a clean free skate, which included three quads (a toe loop and two Salchows, one in combination with a triple toe loop), two triple Axels, four more triples as well as difficult spins and level-four footwork, and scored 216.41, surpassing his personal best in the segment by 14.98 points. He reached a total score of 314.93, also a new personal best. His free skating and total scores were the second and third highest, respectively, under the ISU judging system as of the event. Hanyu made mistakes in his free skate, allowing Fernández to close the point gap and overtake him by a further 19.76 points to become the 2016 World champion.[
According to a May 2016 news article, Fernández's income from shows is greater than his competitive earnings.] When he won his second World title, Spain had 17 ice rinks, compared to a hundred in Toronto, and 300 licensed skaters, compared to about 15,000 in France.
2016–17 season
Fernández was assigned to the Rostelecom Cup
The Rostelecom Cup (russian: Кубок Ростелекома), formerly the Cup of Russia (russian: Кубок России), is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating ser ...
and the Trophée de France
The Grand Prix de France is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It was previously known as the Grand Prix International de Paris (1987–1993), Trophée de France ...
for the 2016–17 Grand Prix series. He trailed Japan's Shoma Uno
is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 Four ...
after the short program at the Russian Grand Prix event, having tripled one of his quad attempts.[ In the free skate, Fernández produced three quads, two triple Axels, and received the first 200+ long program score of the season: 201.43.][ One week later, he won both the short program and the free skate at the French Grand Prix, despite a fall in each segment of the event – on a quad toe loop in the short program,][ and a triple Axel in the free skate.][ He collected 15 points from both events and qualified for the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final with maximum points.][
At the Grand Prix Final in ]Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, Fernández placed third in the short program with 91.76 points, after landing a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, but stumbling on his quad Salchow and falling on the triple Axel.[ In the free skate, he tripled a planned quad toe loop, underrotated and stumbled on a quad Salchow and fell on his second triple Axel.][ He finished fourth in the free skate with 177.01 points and dropped to 4th place overall with a total score of 268.77.][ This was the first event since the ]2014 Winter Olympic Games
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in which Fernández failed to make the podium.
Fernández won his seventh national title at the Spanish Championships in December 2016. He landed two quads in his short program (the toe loop in combination with a triple toe loop, and the Salchow with a hand down) to take the lead, and followed with a free skate which included two quads (a toe loop and a Salchow) and two triple Axels (the first in combination with a triple toe loop – a new element for Fernández).[
The 2017 European Championships were held in ]Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
. Fernández skated a clean short program including two quads (one in combination with a triple), a triple Axel and all level four elements to claim first place in the segment and achieve a new personal best of 104.25 points.[ His free skate included three quads and seven triples, however he over-rotated his first quad Salchow and fell on the second. Fernández recovered to finish his routine and earned 190.59 points, winning the free skating segment over Russian ]Maxim Kovtun
Maxim Pavlovich Kovtun (russian: Максим Павлович Ковтун; born 18 June 1995) is a retired Russian figure skater. He is a three-time European medalist (silver in 2015 and 2017, bronze in 2016) and four-time (2014, 2015, 2016, 2 ...
by over 18 points.[ Fernández received 294.84 points overall to win the gold medal,][ and became only the third men's skater to win five consecutive European titles, following ]Ondrej Nepela
Ondrej Nepela (22 January 1951 – 2 February 1989) was a Slovak figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He was the 1972 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion (1971–73), and a five-time European champion (1969–73). Later in h ...
(1969–73), and Karl Schäfer, who won the title 8 consecutive times (1929–36).[
At the 2017 World Championships in ]Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Fernández set a new personal best in the short program, in which he successfully executed all the jump elements (a quad-triple toe loop combination, a quad Salchow and a triple Axel), three level four spins, and received maximum grades of execution from every judge for the step sequence.[ He received 109.05 points in the short program to take the lead, the third highest mark ever at the time of the event.][ Fernández started his free skate a quad toe loop, quad Salchow-triple toe loop and triple Axel-double toe loop, but fell on another quad Salchow attempt, doubled a planned triple flip and stumbled on the landing of the triple loop to finish 6th in the segment, dropping him to 4th place overall.][ It was the first time off the podium at a World Championships since 2012.
]
2017–18 season
Fernández began the season earlier than usual by participating in the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International. Although other skaters were now incorporating more quad jumps into their programs, Fernández stuck with two quads in the short program and three in the free program.[ He received 101.20 points for his short program after executing a quad toe loop-double toe loop, a quad Salchow, and a triple Axel, 11.52 points behind ]Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
.[ Fernández popped his first quad Salchow attempt during the free program, which was subsequently downgraded, but landed two clean quads and five triples to receive 177.87 points. He earned 279.07 points in total to overtake Hanyu and win the gold medal.][
Fernández competed for Team Europe at the Japan Open invitational tournament in Saitama, alongside ]Evgenia Medvedeva
Evgenia Armanovna Medvedeva (alt. spelling: Yevgenia Medvedeva; rus, Евгения Армановна Медведева, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪjə mʲɪˈdvʲedʲɪvə; born 19 November 1999), is a competitive Russian Figure skating, figure ska ...
, Alina Zagitova and Oleksii Bychenko
Alexei Bychenko ( he, אלכסיי ביצ'נקו; uk, Олексій Юрійович Биченко; born 5 February 1988) is a retired Ukrainian-born Israeli figure skater. He represented Ukraine through 2009 and Israel after that. He is the 2 ...
. He performed two quads and two triple Axels in his free skate, winning the men's discipline with 189.47 points.[ Team Europe narrowly beat Team Japan to win the overall competition.][
During the 2017–18 Grand Prix series, Fernández first competed in the 2017 Cup of China. He placed 3rd in the short program after popping his planned quadruple-triple combination, scoring 90.57 points. He made several mistakes in the free skate to finish 6th in this segment (162.49) and 6th overall (253.06).][ It was revealed after the competition that Fernández had been suffering from stomach problems.][ His second Grand Prix assignment was the 2017 Internationaux de France in Grenoble. Fernández won the short program with a clean skate for which he received 107.86 points, the 5th highest short program score on record at the time of the event. In the free skate, Fernández fell twice and stepped out of the landings of three other jumps to finish 2nd behind ]Shoma Uno
is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 Four ...
in the segment with 175.85 points. His lead from the short program was enough to win the event overall with 283.71 points. This was the 7th career Grand Prix title for Fernández.
In December 2017, Fernández claimed his 7th consecutive and 8th overall senior Spanish national title. He hit all planned jumps in the short program to receive 107.73 points, and landed two quads during the free skate before falling on the third to score 180.57 points in the segment and 288.30 points overall. His qualification for the 2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
was not determined by this event, as it had been announced previously that Fernández would take the first of Spain's two spots in the men's discipline. Fernández announced that the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang would be his last Olympic Games.
At the 2018 European Championships in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Fernández had a sizable lead following the short program, which included a quad-triple toe loop combination, a triple Axel and level 4 spins, but also a turn out on the landing of the quad Salchow. Fernández received 103.82 points in the segment, 12.49 points ahead of nearest rival Dmitri Aliev
Dmitri Sergeyevich Aliev (russian: Дмитрий Сергеевич Алиев; born 1 June 1999) is a Russian figure skater. He is the 2020 European champion and the 2020 Russian national champion. On the junior level, he is the 2017 World J ...
. Fernández hit two quads, two triple Axels and three other triples to win the free skating, but popped his third quad attempt to a triple and stumbled on a downgraded triple flip. He earned 191.73 points in the segment, improving on his previous season's best by nearly 14 points, and won the gold medal with a total of 295.55 points. Fernández became the first man in 82 years to have won the European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
6 consecutive times (2013–18). The other skaters who won at least six consecutive European titles are Karl Schäfer, Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...
(1931–36), Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt (, ; born 3 December 1965) is a German former figure skater. A two-time Olympic champion, Witt is regarded as one of the greatest ladies' singles figure skaters of all time. Her Laureus profile states "she is remembered most for h ...
(6 years, 1983–88), Marika Kilius
Marika Kilius (; born 24 March 1943) is a German former pair skater. With Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, she is a two-time Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion, and a six-time European champion. Earlier in her career, she competed with Fra ...
/ Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
Hans-Jürgen Bäumler (born 28 January 1942) is a German former pair skater, actor, and Schlager singer.
Career
Bäumler became famous in pair skating with his skating partner Marika Kilius. Between 1958 and 1964, they won the German nation ...
(1959–64), and Irina Rodnina
Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina ( rus, Ирина Константиновна Роднина, p=ɪˈrʲinə kənstɐnˈtʲinəvnə rədʲnʲɪˈna; born 12 September 1949) is a Russian politician and retired figure skating, figure skater, who is ...
(with two partners: Alexei Ulanov
Alexei Nikolaevich Ulanov (russian: Алексей Николаевич Уланов; born 4 November 1947) is a retired pair skater who represented the Soviet Union. With Irina Rodnina, he is the 1972 Olympic champion and a four-time (1969–19 ...
, 1969–72 and Alexander Zaitsev Alexander Zaytsev may refer to:
*Alexander Zaytsev (artist), Alexander Dmitryevich Zaytsev (1903–1982), Russian painter and art educator
*Alexander Zaytsev (pilot), Alexander Andreyevich Zaytsev (1911–1965), Soviet aircraft pilot and Hero of the ...
, 1973–78).
At the 2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
, Fernández skated his "Modern Times" short program, executing a quad-triple toe loop combination, a quad Salchow, a triple Axel and all level 4 elements. He received nine perfect 10.00 scores in program components and received 107.58 points, placing him second in that segment behind defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu. In the free skate, Fernández landed a quad toe loop, a quad Salchow in combination, two triple Axels and five more triples, and earned four perfect 10.00 component marks. His only major mistake was popping a planned second quad Salchow into a double. His free skate performance earned 197.66 points and a total competition score of 305.24 – both season's best for him. Fernández won the bronze medal behind Japan's Hanyu and Shoma Uno
is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 Four ...
, the first ever figure skating Olympic medal for Spain.[ In the figure skating gala, Fernández performed his aerobics class exhibition program wearing in a "Super Javi" Spanish-colored Superman costume.; the program included parodies of ]Flashdance
''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend an ...
and iconic 1980's workout jams.[
After the men's individual competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics concluded, Fernández returned to Madrid where he confirmed to Spanish media that he would not be competing at the 2018 World Championships in Milan. He cited his satisfaction with winning the bronze medal in PyeongChang to finish his season as the reason for the decision.][ Fernández also stated his intention to leave Canada, where he had trained since 2011, and return to Madrid to promote figure skating in Spain. Although he did not rule out future competitions entirely, he confirmed that he would not participate in another World Championships or Olympics.][
]
2018–19 season
With the establishment of the new +5 / -5 Grade of Execution (GOE) scale at the start of the season, all previously recorded scores since the 2004 introduction of the ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System (or the International Judging System (IJS)), occasionally referred to as the Code of Points (COP) system, is the scoring system that has been used since 2004 to judge the figure skating disciplines of men's and ladies' sin ...
(IJS) were archived as historical statistics. During the 14 seasons the +3 / -3 GOE scale was in use, Fernández achieved the 2nd highest personal best short program score (109.05), the 3rd highest free skating score (216.41) and the 4th highest total score (314.93).
Fernández decided to skip the 2018–19 Grand Prix series, and elected to skate at the Japan Open invitational tournament as his only competition during the first part of the season. He competed for Team Europe at the event, and placed 3rd among men with a score of 157.86 for his free program. Team Europe won the silver medal overall.
On 28 November, Fernández officially stated that he would retire from competitive skating, with the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships
The 2019 European Figure Skating Championships took place in Minsk, Belarus. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing.
Records
The following new ISU best scores were set during this ...
as his last competition. Speaking about his decision, he expressed the need to think about the level of competition he wanted to be at, because he felt his body and mind were no longer there, which he had to accept. He added that he preferred to retire at the right time, when he was satisfied with his career and had plans for the future, referring among other projects to his Revolution ON Ice skating show, with which he toured Spain in November and December 2018. The news of his retirement was widely reported in Spanish as well as global media. It was also confirmed that Fernández would not compete at the Spanish National Championships in December.
Fernández returned to his Toronto base in early January to train for three weeks leading up to the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships
The 2019 European Figure Skating Championships took place in Minsk, Belarus. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing.
Records
The following new ISU best scores were set during this ...
. As a tribute to his home country, he selected two Spanish themed programs from his earlier repertoire for his final competition: Malagueña as the short program, and Man of La Mancha
''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...
for the free skate.
Fernández placed third in the short program at European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
with 91.84 points after stepping out of the landing of the triple Axel and receiving an underrotation call on his quad Salchow. In the free skate, Fernández landed two quads (with a turnout on the landing of the second jump of his quad-triple toe loop combination), two triple Axels and three more triples, but missed out on his triple flip attempt. He finished first in the segment with 179.75 points, receiving the highest free program component scores (94.20) since the introduction of the revised scoring system at the start of the season, and rose from third to first overall with 271.59 points. Fernández retired from competitive figure skating with the third highest number of consecutive European titles behind pairs skater Irina Rodnina
Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina ( rus, Ирина Константиновна Роднина, p=ɪˈrʲinə kənstɐnˈtʲinəvnə rədʲnʲɪˈna; born 12 September 1949) is a Russian politician and retired figure skating, figure skater, who is ...
(who had won 10) and men's skater Karl Schäfer (with 8).
Commenting on what he leaves behind as legacy, Fernández stated: "I think it's good for the world to know that not only skaters from strong countries can appear. I'm from Spain, I’ve got a friend here at my side from Italy ronze medalist Matteo Rizzoand another from Russia ilver medalist Alexander Samarin Everyone has his own story to tell and it's good that everyone does not come from a strong figure skating country because that means more stories to tell to everyone. I hope I can develop skating more in my home country to try and make it bigger, but I hope with the work I was able to do I've made history and in 20 years some people will still recollect my name." As for what heritage he would like to leave to skaters, he said: "I would like to leave behind a question to think about. What do they prefer: jumps, skating skills or performance? I would like to see these from more skaters. I think this is what our sport needs – complete skaters who embody something from every aspect of the sport."
When asked about what his student's legacy to the sport will be, long-time coach Brian Orser
Brian Ernest Orser, (born 18 December 1961) is a Canadian former competitive and professional figure skater and coach to Olympic champions. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist, 1987 World champion and eight-time (1981–88) Can ...
said: "For me and Tracy ilson, coaching partner he is our “poster child,” the very example of what we do with our style of training and coaching. He has done something great for men's skating. He is a perfect model for what male skating should be: athletic and aesthetic, bringing a very personal style. He is also the young boy from Spain who made it. This is something very important and special about him. He promotes skating in his home country, through his shows all over Spain and skating camps. I’ve seen him teaching. He teaches technique and style the way we do. This makes me very proud. He will be an excellent coach."
Skating technique
Fernandez's quadruple jumps (Salchow and toe loop) have been remarked for their smooth and effortless execution, with a straight position in the air and great ice coverage. He and his former training mate Yuzuru Hanyu
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...
are the only two skaters to receive the maximum possible GOE on the quadruple Salchow and the quadruple toe loop. He's also one of the four skaters to ever receive a perfect score on a triple Axel. Fernandez holds the second-highest historical technical element score (TES) in the short program behind Hanyu.
Skating wise, Fernandez has been praised for the quality of his edges and the complexity of his steps. His components scores raised throughout his career, receiving 10 perfect scores in composition and interpretation at the 2016 Worlds.[ Fernandez holds the 2nd highest historical component score (PCS) in both the short and free program, also behind Hanyu.
]
Awards
Royal Order of Sports Merit of Spain
* Gold Medal (2016)
Spanish Olympic Committee
The Spanish Olympic Committee ( es, Comité Olímpico Español, COE) is responsible body for Spain's participation in the Olympic Games. Members of the committee are 35 sports federations, which elect the Executive Council composed of the pres ...
* Outstanding Athlete of the Year (2014, 2018)
National Sports Council
The National Sports Council (NSC) is the national overseer of the control authorities of 41 different sports in Bangladesh. It is responsible to the Bangladesh Ministry of Youth and Sports and is based in Purana Paltan, Dhaka.
History
After t ...
* National Sports Awards
The National Sports Awards is the collective name given to the six sports awards of the Republic of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. They are presented by the President of India in the same ceremony at th ...
: King Felipe Award for Best Sportsman (2015)
Media
* : Athlete of the Year 2015 (2015)
* Madrid Sports Press Association (APDM): Individual Athlete of the Year (2017)[
* La Razón: Ussía Awards "Personage of the Year" (2019)
* Marca: 80th Anniversary Awards "Spirit of Success in Sport: Perfection" (2018), ]Marca Leyenda
''Marca'' Leyenda (''Marca'' legend) is an award given by the Spanish sports newspaper '' Marca'' to the best sport professionals in history. Since its inception in 1997 over 80 people have received this award.
List of winners
References
{{Refl ...
(2019)
Municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
* Order of the Second of May of the Community of Madrid: Grand Cross (2015)
* : Gold Medal (2017)[
* : Gold Medal (2017)][
]
Programs
Post-2019
Pre-2019
Competitive highlights
* GP: Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
Detailed results
![2014 World Championships Men Podium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/2014_World_Championships_Men_Podium.jpg)
Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Javier
1991 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Madrid
Spanish male single skaters
Olympic figure skaters of Spain
Figure skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Season's world number one figure skaters
Olympic bronze medalists for Spain
Olympic medalists in figure skating
European Figure Skating Championships medalists
World Figure Skating Championships medalists
Fantasy on Ice main cast members