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Erika VILLAECIJA
Sport Open Water Swimming
NOC Spain   
GenderWomen
Born02 Jun 1984 in Barcelona, ESP
Height1.77 m
Weight 61 kg
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Higher education
 Psychology - Autonomous University of Barcelona: Spain
General Interest
Hero / Idol
 Russian swimmer Aleksandr Popov, US swimmer Michael Phelps, Italian moto GP rider Valentino Rossi. (almeria2005.coe.es, 29 Jun 2005; sport.es, 15 Jun 2012)
Injuries
 In January 2012 she suffered from tendinitis in her left wrist. (bcn2013.com, 24 Jan 2012)

She suffered a bout of pneumonia during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (elconfidencial.com, 02 Aug 2012)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
 She took up the sport to help with her fitness. "It was just random. My mother signed me up for it. I was a little bit overweight and I started at Club Deportivo Horta. There they saw talent in me."
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto
 "Until you know how to lose, you don't learn how to win. In sport you lose many more times than you win and you have to know how to understand it." (abc.es, 19 Nov 2017)
Further Personal Information
Occupation
 Coach, Psychologist
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
 She took up swimming at age six.
Further Personal Information
Languages
 Catalan, English, Spanish
General Interest
Other information
 RETIREMENT
She announced her retirement from competition in November 2018 to become a coach at CN Sabadell and continue her job as a psychologist. (20minutos.es, 05 Nov 2018; isabadell.cat, 05 Nov 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In late 2016 she formed Bevalue Sports with her colleague Maria Gilabert Hernando, a psychologist and coach. "We thought that with our experience we could create an interesting method of work and apply it. That's why Bevalue Sports was born. The idea is to equip swimmers, athletes and clubs with the necessary tools to obtain results. We are talking about managing emotions and preparing goals." (sport.es, 13 Jan 2017; abc.es, 19 Nov 2017)
Famous relatives
 Her brother Alex has also competed in swimming. (rfen.es, Oct 2016; diariodeleon.es, 05 Apr 2009)
Most influential person in career
 Coach Joan Fortuny. (jordipress.com, 28 Jul 2016)
Further Personal Information
Residence
 Sant Cugat del Vallès, ESP
General Interest
Awards and honours
 She received the Sport and Woman award from the government of Barcelona, Spain, in 2017. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2018)

She was awarded a Bronze Medal of Sports Merit by the Spanish government in 2011. (marca.com, 14 Sep 2011)

She had the Honorary Title of Civic Distinction bestowed on her by the city of L'Hospitalet, Spain, in 2008. (lhdigital.cat, 28 Apr 2008)

She received an Extraordinary Medal of Sports Merit from the Catalan Swimming Federation in 2005, in Spain. (natacion.com.ar, 08 Feb 2005)

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
10 2012 London, ENG 800m Freestyle 8:27.99
Heats 2008 Beijing, CHN 400m Freestyle 4:14.25
Heats 2008 Beijing, CHN 800m Freestyle 8:32.27
5 2004 Athens, GRE 800m Freestyle 8:29.04 
18 2004 Athens, GRE 400m Freestyle 4:13.03 
6 2004 Athens, GRE 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:02.11
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2013 Barcelona, ESP 1500m Freestyle 16:25.07
7 2011 Shanghai, CHN 1500m Freestyle 16:09.71
Heat 2011 Shanghai, CHN 800m Freestyle 8:29.13
6 2009 Rome, ITA 800m Freestyle 8:25.97
5 2009 Rome, ITA 1500m Freestyle 16:00.25
Heat 2009 Rome, ITA 400m Freestyle 4:08.77
4 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 1500m Freestyle 16:05.83
4 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 800m Freestyle 8:27.59
Heats 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:06.62
6 2005 Montreal, CAN 1500m Freestyle 16:17.92
6 2005 Montreal, CAN 800m Freestyle 8:36.34 
Heat 2005 Montreal, CAN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:11.24
Heats 2003 Barcelona, ESP 400m Freestyle 4:14.10
Heats 2003 Barcelona, ESP 1500m Freestyle 16:32.17
Heats 2003 Barcelona, ESP 800m Freestyle 8:36.99
5 2003 Barcelona, ESP 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:03.84
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
5 2012 Istanbul, TUR 800m Freestyle 8:16.90
8 2012 Istanbul, TUR 400m Freestyle 4:05.78
Heats 2012 Istanbul, TUR 200m Freestyle 1:59.66
1 2010 Dubai, UAE 800m Freestyle 8:11.61
7 2010 Dubai, UAE 400m Freestyle 4:02.69
3 2008 Manchester, ENG 800m Freestyle 8:13.93
5 2008 Manchester, ENG 400m Freestyle 4:02.89
Heats 2008 Manchester, ENG 200m Freestyle 1:57.78
5 2006 Shanghai, CHN 800m Freestyle 8:27.17
7 2006 Shanghai, CHN 400m Freestyle 4:06.87
8 2006 Shanghai, CHN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:59.85
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
3 2012 Debrecen, HUN 1500m Freestyle 16:15.85
4 2012 Debrecen, HUN 800m Freestyle 8:29.21
3 2010 Budapest, HUN 1500m Freestyle 16:05.08
7 2010 Budapest, HUN 400m Freestyle 4:09.73 
6 2010 Budapest, HUN 800m Freestyle 8:27.07
2 2008 Eindhoven, NED 800m Freestyle 8:24.08
2 2008 Eindhoven, NED 1500m Freestyle 16:02.08
5 2008 Eindhoven, NED 400m Freestyle 4:09.88
8 2008 Eindhoven, NED 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:03.66
Heats 2006 Budapest, HUN 800m Freestyle 8:44.19
Heats 2006 Budapest, HUN 400m Freestyle 4:14.42
7 2006 Budapest, HUN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:06.86
1 2004 Madrid, ESP 800m Freestyle 8:31.26
5 2004 Madrid, ESP 400m Freestyle 4:12.89
1 2004 Madrid, ESP 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 8:03.41
8 2002 Berlin, GER 400m Freestyle 4:13.51
2 2002 Berlin, GER 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 2:01.85
European Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
15 2011 Szczecin, POL 200m Freestyle 1:58.41
11 2011 Szczecin, POL 400m Freestyle 4:03.02
2 2011 Szczecin, POL 800m Freestyle 8:12.23
23 2009 Istanbul, TUR 200m Freestyle 1:59.38
2 2009 Istanbul, TUR 800m Freestyle 8:13.93
6 2009 Istanbul, TUR 400m Freestyle 4:03.69
9 2008 Rijeka, CRO 400m Freestyle 4:03.28
13 2008 Rijeka, CRO 200m Freestyle 1:57.85
4 2008 Rijeka, CRO 800m Freestyle 8:13.52
2 2007 Debrecen, HUN 800m Freestyle 8:12.40
4 2007 Debrecen, HUN 400m Freestyle 4:02.74
17 2007 Debrecen, HUN 200m Freestyle 1:59.04
18 2006 Helsinki, FIN 200m Freestyle 1:59.49
3 2006 Helsinki, FIN 800m Freestyle 8:20.09
6 2006 Helsinki, FIN 400m Freestyle 4:03.83
4 2005 Trieste, ITA 800m Freestyle 8:20.76
19 2005 Trieste, ITA 200m Freestyle 2:00.53
8 2005 Trieste, ITA 400m Freestyle 4:06.16
9 2004 Vienna, AUT 200m Freestyle 1:59.77
3 2004 Vienna, AUT 800m Freestyle 8:26.38
3 2004 Vienna, AUT 400m Freestyle 4:06.05
1 2003 Dublin, IRL 800m Freestyle 8:18.65
16 2003 Dublin, IRL 200m Freestyle 1:59.28
9 2003 Dublin, IRL 400m Freestyle 4:08.19
7 2002 Riesa, GER 800m Freestyle 8:30.24
6 2002 Riesa, GER 400m Freestyle 4:09.21
World Cup Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
2 2005/2006 Berlin, GER 800m Freestyle 8:24.48
2 2005/2006 New York, NY, USA 800m Freestyle 8:23.24
1 2004/2005 Berlin, GER 800m Freestyle 8:18.13
3 2004/2005 Berlin, GER 400m Freestyle 4:05.02
2 2004/2005 New York, NY, USA 400m Freestyle 4:07.38
3 2004/2005 New York, NY, USA 800m Freestyle 8:22.71
1 2003/2004 Berlin, GER 800m Freestyle 8:18.87
2 2002/2003 Berlin, GER 800m Freestyle 8:22.65
3 2002/2003 Berlin, GER 400m Freestyle 4:05.84
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
10 2015 Kazan, RUS 5km 59:15.0
21 2015 Kazan, RUS 10km 1:59:33.8
12 2015 Kazan, RUS 5km - Team Time Trial 57:16.0
17 2013 Barcelona, ESP 10km 1:58:27.8
10 2011 Shanghai, CHN 10km 2:02:18.7
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
15 2016 Hoorn, NED 10km 2:09:00.2
7 2016 Hoorn, NED 5km 1:00:57.6
8 2014 Berlin, GER 5 km 1:00:06.4
7 2014 Berlin, GER 10km 1:56:14.7
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
22 2016 Abu Dhabi, UAE 10km 1:59:12.80
16 2015 Abu Dhabi, UAE 10km 2:08:58.2
22 2014 Setúbal, POR 10km 2:06:56.7
19 2013 San Miguel de Cozumel, MEX 10km 2:12:46.30
13 2012 Cancún, MEX 10km 2:11:33.27