Vanessa Fernandes

About Vanessa Fernandes

Vanessa de Sousa Fernandes, OM, GCIH, (born 14 September 1985) is a Portuguese athlete who is a former triathlon European and world champion, and a Olympic medalist. In duathlon, she was also European and world champion.

Championships:

Fernandes won the European Triathlon Championships five consecutive years (5 elite and 3 under-23 titles), beginning in 2004, and on 1 September 2007, she became world champion for the first time, in Hamburg, Germany, managing to grab the only title (apart from the Olympic sceptre) missing from her career. She competes for S.L. Benfica since 2005.

Vanessa Fernandes Achievements

2001

18th – European Championships (Carlsbad, Czech Republic) – junior

2nd – European Duathlon Championships (Mafra, Portugal) – junior (team)

2002

World Cup:

• 34th (Tiszaújváros, Hungary)
  
• 29th (Nice, France)
  
• 12th (Funchal, Portugal)
  

4th – World Championships (Cancún, Mexico) – junior

3rd – European Championships (Gyor, Hungary) – junior

3rd – European Duathlon Championships (Zeitz, Germany) – junior

2003

World Cup:

• 10th (Ishigaki, Japan)
  
• 9th (St. Anthonys, United States)
  
• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  
• 9th (Funchal, Portugal)
  
• 1st (Cancún, Mexico)
  
• 3rd (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  

1st – Estoril International Triathlon (Estoril, Portugal)

2nd – Praia da Vitória International Triathlon (Praia da Vitória, Portugal)

5th – World Summer Games (Santos, Brazil)

European Championships (Carlsbad, Czech Republic):

• 1st – junior
  
• 2nd – junior (team)
  

3rd – World Championships (Queenstown, New Zealand) – junior

1st – World Duathlon Championships (Affoltern, Switzerland) – junior

2004

1st – Portugal National Championships

World Cup:

• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  
• 1st (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  

5th – World Championships (Funchal, Portugal)

8th – Olympic Games (Athens, Greece)

1st – European Under-23 Championships (Tiszaújváros, Hungary)

1st – European Championships (Valencia, Spain)

2005

1st – European Under-23 Championships (Sofia, Bulgaria)

1st – European Championships (Lausanne, Switzerland)

4th – World Championships (Gamagori, Japan)

World Cup:

• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  
• 1st (Mazatlán, Mexico)
  
• 1st (Beijing, China)
  
• 1st (New Plymouth, New Zealand)
  

2006

World Cup:

• 1st (Aqaba, Jordan)
  
• 1st (Mazatlán, Mexico)
  
• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  
• 1st (Corner Brook, Canada)
  
• 1st (Hamburg, Germany)
  
• 1st (Beijing, China)
  

3rd – Portugal Cross-Country Championships (Guimarães)

1st – Portugal Triathlon Cup (Quarteira)

1st – European Cup (Estoril, Portugal)

1st – European Championships (Autun, France)

1st – European Under-23 Championships (Rijeka, Croatia)

5th – Life Time Fitness Triathlon (Minneapolis, United States)

2nd – World Championships (Lausanne, Switzerland)

1st – European Duathlon Championships (Rimini, Italy)

6th – Corrida do Tejo (Lisbon, Portugal)

2007

World Cup:

3rd (Mooloolaba, Australia)

• 1st (Ishigaki, Japan)
  
• 1st (Lisbon, Portugal)
  
• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  
• 1st (Salford, United Kingdom)
  
• 1st (Beijing, China)
  
• 1st (Rhodes, Greece)
  

1st – World Duathlon Championships (Gyor, Hungary)

1st – European Championships (Copenhagen, Denmark)

1st - World Championships (Hamburg, Germany)

1st – Life Time Fitness Triathlon (Minneapolis, United States)

2008

Olympic Games (Beijing, China):

• 2nd
  

World Cup:

• 2nd (Mooloolaba, Australia)
  
• 1st (Madrid, Spain)
  

1st – European Championships (Lisbon, Portugal)

10th – World Championships (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)