{{short description|Portuguese triathlete (born 1985)}} {{Portuguese name|Sousa|Fernandes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} {{Infobox sportsperson | honorific_prefix = [[Order of Prince Henry|GOIH]], [[Order of Merit (Portugal)|OM]] | name = Vanessa Fernandes | image = 2008 Vanessa Fernandes.JPG | caption = Fernandes at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] | fullname = Vanessa de Sousa Fernandes | nationality = [[Portugal|Portuguese]] | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|9|14|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Perosinho]], [[Vila Nova de Gaia]], Portugal | death_date = | death_place = | education = | height = {{convert|169|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|55|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | country = [[Portugal]] | sport = [[Triathlon]] | club = [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's [[triathlon]] }} {{MedalCountry | {{POR}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}} {{MedalSilver | [[Triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | Women's race }} {{MedalCompetition|[[ITU Triathlon World Championships|ITU World Championships]]}} {{MedalGold | 2007 Hamburg | Elite women's race }} {{MedalSilver | 2006 Lausanne | Elite women's race }} {{MedalBronze | 2003 Queenstown | Junior women's race }} {{MedalCompetition | [[ITU Triathlon World Cup]] }} {{MedalGold | 2006 | Overall World Cup }} {{MedalGold | 2007 | Overall World Cup }} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships }} {{MedalGold | 2003 Carlsbad | Junior women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2004 Tiszaújváros | U-23 women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2004 Valencia | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2005 Sofia | U-23 women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2005 Lausanne | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2006 Rijeka | U-23 women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2006 Autun | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2007 Copenhagen | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2008 Lisbon | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2008 Pulpi | U-23 women's race }} {{MedalBronze | 2002 Győr | Junior women's race }} {{MedalSport | Women's [[duathlon]] }} {{MedalCompetition | [[ITU Duathlon World Championships]] }} {{MedalGold | 2007 Győr | Elite women's race }} {{MedalGold | 2008 Rimini | Elite women's race }} {{MedalCompetition | ETU Duathlon European Championships }} {{MedalGold | 2006 Rimini | Elite women's race }} {{MedalBronze | 2002 Zeitz | Junior women's race }} }} [[File:Vanessafernandes.JPG|thumb|200px|Fernandes finishing second in Lausanne 2006]] [[File:2008 Olympic triathlon women - medal ceremony.JPG|thumb|200px|Fernandes (left), silver medalist at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]]]
'''Vanessa de Sousa Fernandes''' {{small|[[Order of Prince Henry|GOIH]] [[Order of Merit (Portugal)|ComM OM]]}} ({{IPA|pt|vɐˈnɛsɐ fɨɾˈnɐ̃dɨʃ}}; born 14 September 1985) is a Portuguese athlete who is a former [[triathlon]] European and world champion, and an [[Olympic medal]]ist.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010059/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fe/vanessa-fernandes-1.html Vanessa Fernandes]. sports-reference.com</ref> In [[duathlon]], she was also European and world champion.
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.
==Career== Born in [[Perosinho]], [[Vila Nova de Gaia]], Fernandes was introduced to triathlon in 1999, when she was fourteen, by her father, [[Venceslau Fernandes]], a former professional cyclist and winner of the 1984 [[Volta a Portugal]]. She competed for her local triathlon club Clube de Perosinho and then for [[C.F. Os Belenenses|Belenenses]] where she became world champion of under-23. Later in 2005, Fernandes joined [[S.L. Benfica (athletics)|S.L. Benfica]] and represents the club to this day. Occasionally, she enters [[cross country running|cross country]] events. She competed at the [[Olympic Games]] for the first time in [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]. On the [[Triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics|second Olympic triathlon competition]], at age eighteen, she finished in eighth place with a total time of 2:06:15.39.
In June 2006, Fernandes won the [[International Triathlon Union]] World Cup, ranking number one in the world.<ref>[http://www.triathlon.org/docs/rankings-world-cup-women.pdf?ts=1165605855 2006 BG Triathlon World Cup rankings].</ref> In September, she equaled Australian [[Emma Carney]]'s record number of consecutive wins in the World Cup, with a twelfth victory at the [[Beijing]] leg. Later that year, she was awarded with the "Best Female Athlete of the Year" prize from CNID (''Clube Nacional de Imprensa Desportiva''; {{langx|en|Sports Press National Club}}) at its annual sports gala. In 2008, she won her 5th-in-a-row Elite European Championships title, at "home", in [[Lisbon]], Portugal.
In August 2008, she finished second in the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympic Games]], winning her first olympic medal.
After years without competing, Fernandes is training with the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in mind.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/noticias/detalhedenoticia/tabid/2788/ArticleId/38994/language/pt-PT/Vanessa-Fernandes-Quero-voltar-a-ir-a-uns-Jogos-Olimpicos.aspx |title=Vanessa Fernandes: "Quero voltar a ir aos Jogos Olímpicos" |language=Portuguese |trans-title=Vanessa Fernandes: "I want to return to the Olympic Games" |date=29 October 2014 |publisher=[[S.L. Benfica]] |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref>
==Achievements== '''2001''' *18th – European Championships ([[Karlovy Vary|Carlsbad]], [[Czech Republic]]) – junior *2nd – European Duathlon Championships ([[Mafra, Portugal|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 ([[Győr]], Hungary) – junior *3rd – European Duathlon Championships ([[Zeitz]], Germany) – junior
'''2003''' *World Cup: **10th ([[Ishigaki, Okinawa|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 (São Paulo)|Santos]], [[Brazil]]) *European Championships ([[Karlovy Vary|Carlsbad]], [[Czech Republic]]): **'''1st''' – junior **2nd – junior (team) *3rd – World Championships ([[Queenstown, New Zealand]]) – junior *'''1st''' – World Duathlon Championships ([[Affoltern am Albis|Affoltern]], Switzerland) – junior
'''2004''' *'''1st''' – Portugal National Championships *World Cup: **'''1st''' ([[Madrid]], Spain) **'''1st''' ([[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]]) *5th – World Championships ([[Funchal]], Portugal) *8th – [[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] ([[Athens]], Greece) *'''1st''' – European Under-23 Championships ([[Tiszaújváros]], Hungary) *'''1st''' – European Championships ([[Valencia (city in Spain)|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''' – [[2006 ITU Duathlon European Championship|European Duathlon Championships]] ([[Rimini]], Italy) *6th – Corrida do Tejo ([[Lisbon]], Portugal)
'''2007''' *World Cup: **3rd ([[Mooloolaba]], Australia) **'''1st''' ([[Ishigaki, Okinawa|Ishigaki]], Japan) **'''1st''' ([[Lisbon]], Portugal) **'''1st''' ([[Madrid]], Spain) **'''1st''' ([[City of Salford|Salford]], United Kingdom) **'''1st''' ([[Beijing]], China) **'''1st''' ([[Rhodes]], Greece) *'''1st''' – World Duathlon Championships ([[Győr]], Hungary) *'''1st''' – European Championships ([[Copenhagen]], Denmark) *'''1st''' - World Championships ([[Hamburg]], Germany) *'''1st''' – Life Time Fitness Triathlon (Minneapolis, United States)
'''2008'''
*[[2008 Summer Olympics|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)
==Orders== *[[File:PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Officer BAR.svg|60px]] Grand Officer of the [[Order of Prince Henry]]<ref name="presidencia">{{cite web |url=http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=153 |title=Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas |language=Portuguese |trans-title=Portuguese Honorary Orders |publisher=[[President of Portugal|Presidency of the Portuguese Republic]] |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> *[[File:POR Ordem do Merito Comendador BAR.svg|60px]] Commander of the [[Order of Merit (Portugal)|Order of Merit]]<ref>[http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/Ypjva0fpK0CHujSECn0LGw?language=pt-PT Atletas condecorados com Ordem do Mérito] (in Portuguese)</ref> *[[File:POR Ordem do Merito Oficial BAR.svg|60px]] Officer of the [[Order of Merit (Portugal)|Order of Merit]]<ref name="presidencia"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.triathlon.org/athletes/profile/vanessa_fernandes International Triathlon Union (ITU) profile]
{{s-start}} {{s-ach|aw}} {{succession box | | before = [[Diana Gomes (swimmer)|Diana Gomes]] | after = [[Michelle Larcher de Brito]] | title = [[CDP Awards|Portuguese Sportswoman of the Year]] | years = 2006 – 2008 |}} {{s-end}}
{{Footer World Champions Triathlon Women}} {{Footer European Champions Triathlon Women}} {{Footer World Cup Winners Triathlon Women}} {{Footer Duathlon World Champions women}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandes, Vanessa}} [[Category:1985 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Vila Nova de Gaia]] [[Category:Portuguese women athletes]] [[Category:Portuguese female triathletes]] [[Category:Olympic triathletes for Portugal]] [[Category:Triathletes at the 2004 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Triathletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Portugal]] [[Category:Duathletes]] [[Category:Golden Globes (Portugal) winners]] [[Category:Olympic medalists in triathlon]] [[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:S.L. Benfica (triathlon)]] [[Category:21st-century Portuguese sportswomen]]