Enrique Figueroa
Enrique Figueroa a.k.a. "Quique Figueroa" (born February 25, 1964 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is the only sailor in Puerto Rico to win four gold medals in the Central American-Caribbean Games.
Figueroa was raised and went to school in San Juan, where he recieved his primary and secondary education. He first became interested and participated in sailing when he was only 10 years old. In 1980, when Figueroa was 16 years old, he participated in his first competition, the 3rd Hobie 16 worlds celebrated in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands where he came in 3rd place. The following year (1881), he participated in the 6th Hobie 14 Worlds in Fortaleza, Brazil where he won 1st place.
In 1984, Figueroa was in the 7th Hobie 14 Worlds celebrated in Puerto Azul, Phillippines and came in 3rd place. That same year, he enrolled the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart University) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he majored in Business Marketing.
Among the other competitions in which Figueroa has participated are the following: In 1985, Hobie 14 Worlds in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico where he won 1st place and the 1986, 6th Hobie 16 Worlds in Suva, Fiji where he arrived 2nd place.
In 1994, Figueroa won the IYRU World Sailing Championship title. Figueroa met and married Carla Malatrosi, a sportswoman from Puerto Rico who also loves sailing. In 1999, Figueroa and his wife Carla won a gold medal in sailing in the Pan Am Hobie competition celebrated in Winnipeg, Canada. Figueroa compited in the 2000 Olympic Games held in Sydney, Australia without his with wife. She stayed behind to give birth to the first of thier two daughters, Isabella Victoria. In 2002, Figueroa and his wife came in 3rd place in the Hobie Racing-ISAF Sailing Games H-16 which took place in Marseille, France in which they went against 36 teams representing 20 nations.
On February 2, 2004, Figueroa and fellow teammate Jorge Hernandez, won the Olympic Games Rolex Regatta. They were named champions by topping 29 entries in the tornado fleet. The regatta winners had their sights set on the 2004 Olympics and Partalympic Games in Athens, Greece. 503 sailors participated with a fleet of 323 boats representing 39 nations. Figueroa went to the 2004 Olympic Games and represnted Puerto Rico.
On March 3, 2003 the Senate of Puerto Rico honored Enrique Figueroa and his wife Carla Malatrose by recognizing their achievements. Figueroa has been named "Puerto Rican National Sportsman of the Year" in sailing for 10 consecutive years.
Enrique's other hobbies include surfing, windsurfing, mountain biking, snowboarding and tennis.