Atlanta 1996
Miguel Induráin, first Olympic champion and Mateo Garralda, bronze medallist
The Atlanta Games are historic for sport in Navarre. The two most important official titles were won. Miguel Induráin was proclaimed Olympic champion, winning the gold medal in the cycling time trial and Mateo Garralda won the bronze medal with the handball team.
Also taking part in these Games are Roberto Lezáun in cycling and Iñigo Monreal in athletics.
Miguel Induráin won the individual time trial in Atlanta at the test of the degree program . The time trial, over a distance of 52.200 kilometres, was held on 3 August: "We had to change the equipment. The humidity was very high and on the day of the degree program it rained at the start. There were a couple of steep hills. But the same circuit had been used for the test online race a few days earlier, and we knew the route and its difficulties very well. We tested the gearing, we chose the right bike. We knew exactly what we had to do. And we did it".
He had to start last and won with a time of 1:04:05. Abraham Olano, twelve seconds behind, took silver, and Britain's Chris Boardman, thirty-one seconds behind, took bronze: "We were waiting a long time for the medals to be presented to us. I remember the King phoned me. I thanked him very much. Then we stayed over there for a couple more days, watched the marathon and came back.
"I have unforgettable memories of Atlanta. Everything was easy. They gave us everything. They treated us very well. I went without any pressure, and everything was calm and very pleasant. It was a good end to my degree program. I have the medal in plain sight at home, and I know what it meant to win it". Miguel Indurain.
Living history of sport. But he is still the same. The same as the man who gave us the immense pleasure of his victories. He speaks the right words, says what he thinks and there is only one doubt as to whether he also feels the same way. But perhaps that doubt will never be completely dispelled. Neither will he, nor anyone around him, nor, of course, his biographers. He belongs to that class of men who are so difficult to find: those who give a lot and ask for little.(*The text is based on the conversation Juan Manuel Gozalo had with Miguel Indurain during the 1999 Tour de France).
Excerpted from Tribuna Olímpica (Author: Fernando Olmeda. April, 2016)
He announced his retirement from cycling on 2 January 1997 after winning five consecutive Tour de France.
Mateo Garralda won the bronze medal in Atlanta: "Garralda is an easy-going person, noble and loyal to his friends, as he showed in Atlanta '96, when Masip was unable to play due to injury in the match in which they won the bronze medal. On the podium, Garralda broke the medal in two and said: "It's for you, Enric". Throughout his sporting career, degree program , he has won several awards, but the one that gave him most satisfaction was the election as the best sportsman from Navarre in 2004, because above all, Garralda is passionate about his homeland and its people, who consider him their idol par excellence".
(Ruiza, M., Fernández, T. and Tamaro, E. (2004). Biography of Mateo Garralda. In Biografías y Vidas. The online biographical encyclopaedia. Barcelona (Spain).
Retrieved from Biographies and Lives (October 1, 2020).
The first Navarrese Paralympian and 7 medals
Juantxo Fuertes, Santiago Pesquera and María Redal, who became the first Paralympic athlete from Navarre, took part in the Paralympic Games.
Juantxo Fuertes won five medals in these Games. Two gold medals in 50 and 100 freestyle, two silver medals in 4x50 freestyle and 200 freestyle and one bronze medal in 4x50 freestyle.
In this way Juantxo becomes the athlete from Navarre with the most medals in the Paralympic Games. (3 gold- 3 silver- and 1 bronze)
Santiago Pesquera was born in Logroño on 21 April 1973 and took part in the modality Boccia competition, where he won a silver medal.
Begoña Redal was born in Tudela on 3 August 1975 and was a member of the Goalball team with which she won the bronze medal.