Since the 1960 JJOO of Rome and for more than three decades Miguel Torres was the youngest Spanish Olympic in history. At 14 years and seven months he was the youngest male swimmer in competition and one of the youngest participants in those JJOO. Thirty-two years later, a boy who did not reach the age of 12, Carlos Front (20-11-80), took over being also the youngest participant of the JJOO of Barcelona 1992 and the second youngest in the history of modern Olympism

Carlos Front son of the prestigious technician Welcome Front (1) this young man born in Amposta, grew up in Banyoles where from an early age he began to familiarize himself with the rowing and before he reached the seven he began to learn all the secrets of the tymonel, a tactically important position in the rowing tests of this modality, a task he exercised at the Nüutic Banyoles Club.

Barcelona 1992: The eight with Spanish with Carles Front as timonel (COE)

After several selective competitions he was chosen to guide the eight Spanish in the Barcelona JJOO 1992 composed of Jordi Quer, Andreu Canals, Josu Andueza, Jose Mª Claro, Horacio Aacergo, Garitkoiz Azkue, Josep Robert and Jose Mª Altuna. Shortly before the opening ceremony of the Games, one of the team members and his partner at the CN Banyoles, Andreu Canals told him "Remember well everything you will see why it will never happen again." During the inaugural parade, due to its small stature, Jordi Front saw practically nothing until it was raised on the shoulders of the remers so that it could witness in all its dimension that historic day. Carlos Front was one of the popular characters of the Olympic villa, many athletes were photographed with him and was also of journalistic interest. Among his memories, when they saw him so young many wondered who is this boy wearing the uniform of the Spanish team? It can't be that, such a young boy is a competitor... "Jordi keeps many memories of that unique experience, including all the clothing even the hat that Spanish athletes wore in the inaugural parade.

Carlos Front one of the 23 Olympics of Banyoles homeanjeado in 2006 (CN Banyoles)

In sports, the Spanish "eight with" was ranked in the 14th place. In the elimination séries he occupied the last place in the first, he was also fifth in the refishing that classified the first three for the semifinals and therefore ended up in the last place being gold for Canada, silver for Romania and bronze for Germany. After the Games, Carlos Front continued as a timonel until the youth age from which he competed several seasons as a remer in the ranks of CN Banyoles. He then focused his professional career as a personal coach, a technician in Aerobic and Directed Activities, and participated in projects of new physical activity experiences for gymnastics such as Gliding or Kangoo jumps.

(1) Welcome to the prestigious technical Front with a long and recognized trajectory. He trained at CN Amposta (1978 / 1984) and CN Banyoles (1997- 2004). For several years he was responsible for the light team of the FER of which he was also technical director (1985 / 86). Technical Director of the Catalan Federation of Remo in two stages (1987 / 97 and 2004 / 12). He is currently the technical director of the Chilean Remo team.

* The timonel is usually a person of low weight and low height, sits the boat's stern looking forward, in a sense contrary to the remers, which go back to the movement and its main mission is to maintain the direction of the ship and to encourage and inform the remers and, if necessary, to mark the pace of the boga.

Text: Juan Manuel Surroco
http: / / elmargadordejmsurroca.blogspot.com
@ SurrocaJM