Andrea Fuentes Fache (born 7 April 1983 inValls,Tarragona) is a Spanish swimming coach and formersynchronised swimmer.[4][5] She is the most decorated swimmer in the history of the Spanish national team,[6] with four Olympic, 16 World Championship and 11 European Championship medals: her four Olympic medals also make her the most decorated Spanish female Olympian of all time, alongsideArantxa Sánchez Vicario andMireia Belmonte.[7]
She joined the national synchronised swimming team in 1999.[6] Andrea has competed at the2004,2008 and2012 Summer Olympics, where she has won four medals in the women's duet and women's team events.[8] She retired from elite competition in January 2013, citing demotivation as a result of a conflict between theRoyal Spanish Swimming Federation and the head coach of the national team,Ana Tarrés.[6][9] Since retiring she has become a synchronised swimming coach.[7]
As of 2018[update], Fuentes became the USA senior national team head coach,[10] working alongsideReem Abdalazem. The two have a pre-established work relationship, having worked together in synchro for four years.[11]
In June of 2022, Fuentes was poolside coaching during the2022 World Aquatics Championships inBudapest in which the USA team was competing. Artistic swimmerAnita Alvarez fainted and sank to the bottom of the pool. Fuentes dove in to bring her to the surface. Medical checks after the rescue showed that Alvarez had apparently recovered and planned on continuing to compete.[12][13]
In the 2024 Olympic Games she won a silver Olympic medal completing an incredible story from not qualifying to finals to Olympic medal in just 5 years.
In 2014 Fuentes gave birth to a son, Kilian, from her relationship with gymnast and fellow OlympianVíctor Cano.[7] Her sister Tina Fuentes, also a synchronized swimmer died in 2018 at the age of 34.[14]
^Tronchoni, Nadia (30 January 2013)."Me entristece ver dos bandos" [It saddens me to see two sides fighting].El País (in Spanish). Retrieved25 May 2016.
