Vanessa Fernandes

  • Portugal
  • Born: 1985
Starts
87
Podiums
51
Wins
39
Biography

When Fernanda Ribeiro won the women’s 10,000-meter gold medal in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, she not only added to Portugal’s medal count, she also inspired a young girl to do the same. That girl was Vanessa Fernandes and from that moment on, Fernandes knew she wanted to win a medal for her country. In 2008, that dream became a reality as Fernandes claimed a silver in the triathlon event at the Beijing Olympics.

Fernandes was born on September 14, 1985, in Perosinho, Portugal to Venceslau Fernandes, a former professional cyclist and winner of the 1984 Volta a Portugal. Venceslau Fernandes introduced triathlon to his daughter in 1999, when she was only 14.

Fernandes started by competing for her local triathlon club and then moved on to racing for Belenenses, a Portuguese sports club, where she became an Under23 World Champion. She won her first World Cup one week after her 18th birthday, in September 2003. Since her early start, Fernandes has cemented her legacy as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Fernandes holds a record 20 World Cup wins – more than any other male or female in 25 years of ITU racing - an Olympic silver medal and a World Championship.

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Athlete Images
Latest Athlete Results
17
2018 New Plymouth ITU Triathlon World Cup
25 Mar, 2018 - Elite Women - 01:05:49
14
2018 Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup
10 Mar, 2018 - Elite Women - 01:01:50
17
2018 Cape Town ITU Triathlon World Cup
11 Feb, 2018 - Elite Women - 01:01:29
DNF
2017 ITU World Triathlon Edmonton
29 Jul, 2017 - Elite Women - DNF
1
2017 Banyoles ETU Triathlon Clubs European Championships
23 Jul, 2017 - Mixed Relay - 00:21:40
view full results
2
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
2008-08-18 - Elite Women - 01:59:33
8
Athens 2004 Olympic Games
2004-08-25 - Elite Women - 02:06:13
view full results
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Athlete Fact Sheet
Given Name Vanessa
Family Name Fernandes
Representing POR
Year of Birth 1985
Place of Birth Perosinho, Portugal
Residence Oeiras, Portugal
Coach Sergio Santos, Antonio Jourdan
Sponsors Nike, Litespeed bicycles
Hobbies Beach
World Triathlon Athlete ID 5365
Vanessa's next event
No upcoming events
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