- PABLO DEFAZIO & MARIANA FOGLIA
This Uruguayan couple is set to compete in the Sailing event in the Mixed Nacra 17 at the Rio Games. Incidentally, the International Sailing Federation only approved the mixed sailing event, comprising of a man and a woman, in 2012. They might have as well had Pablo and Mariana in mind when coming up with the innovation.
Mariana (34) is a two-time World Champion, while her husband has a GOLD medal at the 2005 World Cup, and Silver and Bronze respectively at the 2007 and 2011 editions of the Pan American Games. The couple’s relationship has not been smooth sailing (pun intended), having met in 1998, began a relationship, but then separated in 2002. However they came back together in 2007, and got married a year later.
They competed in their first World Championships as a couple in 2013, finishing a distant 55th. After a particularly turbulent campaign in December 2014, the couple decided to get a coach, and went on to participate in several competitions in preparation for qualifying for the Olympics, which they did at the 2016 Sailing World Cup in Miami.
Qualifying for the games remains the most memorable moment of their career. Pablo said, “When we ended the last race in Miami, we merged in a big hug and we said, ‘we did it’. That was all that we said there, thinking about the last three years and all the challenges we had faced until that point. It was an amazing feeling and a relaxing moment too.”
