Sunday 28th of March was confirmed that Spain’s two times Olympic medallist Iker Fernandez has been forced to bow out of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia IBEROSTAR regatta. Martinez who won Olympic gold in 2004 and silver in 2008 in the nacra17 Class with Xabi Fernandez, suffered a knee injury in a collision with another boat early in the Nacra 17 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. Martinez and Julia Rita could take no further part in the worlds.
An intensive rehabilitation period has followed but, although the duo have been on the water a few times since, Martinez is not fit enough. As the Spanish Olympic trials for the Nacra 17 are based on the Worlds, the Trofeo Princesa Sofia IBEROSTAR regatta and the World Cup in Hyeres, it seems this leaves Fernando Echavarri and Tara Pacheco (who previously crewed Martinez) a clear path to the Rio selection.
