Javier Raya

Francisco Javier Raya Buenache (born 20 April 1991) is a Spanish figure skater. He is the 2011 Spanish national senior champion and has competed in the free skate at eight ISU Championships.

Javier Raya
Javier Raya at the 2010 World Junior Championships
Full name	Francisco Javier Raya Buenache
Born	(1991-04-20) 20 April 1991 (age 33) Madrid, Spain
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Spain
Discipline	Men's singles
Began skating	1998
Medal record
Spanish Championships 2011 Barcelona Singles 2013 Majadahonda Singles 2014 Jaca Singles 2015 Granada Singles 2017 Vielha Singles 2018 Jaca Singles 2019 Logroño Singles 2016 San Sebastián Singles

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Raya and the second or maternal family name is Buenache.

Personal life

Francisco Javier Raya Buenache was born on 20 April 1991 in Madrid.^[1][2] He studied ballet from the age of six until he was 17.^[3] He is studying audiovisual communication at the Complutense University of Madrid.^[4] Raya is openly gay.^{[1][2][3][5][4]}

Career

Raya began skating in 1998 at a rink near Madrid's Chamartín railway station.^[2][3] His first coach was Jocelyn Flanagan.^[3] He is now coached by Carolina Sanz and Jordi Lafarga in Madrid and spends some time training in Canada during the summer. He has worked with Daniela Slovak in Calgary, Manon Perron in Montreal, and Brian Orser in Toronto.^[6][7]

Raya made his European debut in 2011, finishing 19th. He sustained a leg injury before the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy but recovered in November.^[8] He withdrew from the 2012 Spanish Championships due to illness, and later missed the 2012 Europeans but competed at the 2012 Worlds, where he finished 24th.

Raya competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and placed 25th.^[9] He withdrew from the 2014 World Championships due to an injury of the adductor in his left foot.^[10] At the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm, he placed 21st in the short program, 14th in the free skate, and 14th overall.

Programs

Season	Short program	Free skating
2016–17 [11]	Pure Imagination performed by Jamie Cullum	Swings Both Ways by Robbie Williams
2015–16 [12][2]	Saturday Night Fever by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, and David Shire choreo. by Joey Russell	Carne Cruda by Fernando Egozcue Lejos by Ara Malikian choreo. by Antonio Najarro
2014–15 [13]	Moulin Rouge! by Craig Armstrong	West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
2013–14 [14]	Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schönberg	Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima Sing, Sing, Sing by Glenn Miller
2012–13 [15]	Como Siento Yo Hip Hip Chin Chin	Funeral for a Friend by Elton John
2011–12 [16]	Tango	I Love Paris by The Witnesses
2010–11 [17]	Can Can	Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
2009–10 [18]	Capone by Ronan Hardiman	Romeo and Juliet
2008–09 [19]		Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo
2007–08 [20]	Libertango by Astor Piazzolla
2006–07 [21]		Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus

Results

International[22]
Event	06–07	07–08	08–09	09–10	10–11	11–12	12–13	13–14	14–15	15–16	16–17	17–18	18–19
Olympics								25th
Worlds						24th		WD		25th	27th	37th
Europeans					19th		16th	18th	14th		18th
CS Autumn Classic											7th
CS Finlandia													18th
CS Golden Spin										13th	10th	15th	17th
CS U.S. Classic										14th
Autumn Classic										9th
Cup of Nice				11th	9th	14th			7th
Dragon Trophy							1st
Golden Spin					4th	5th		6th
Hellmut Seibt									5th	6th
Ice Challenge												2nd
Challenge Cup									2nd				7th
Lombardia Trophy								8th
Merano Cup				10th	6th						4th	2nd
Nebelhorn Trophy						13th
NRW Trophy							17th
Open d'Andorra									1st	1st
Santa Claus Cup									1st
Triglav Trophy			7th
Volvo Open Cup							6th
Universiade					14th			17th	11th
International: Junior[22]
Junior Worlds	29th		19th	12th
JGP Austria		19th
JGP Croatia		16th
JGP Germany				9th
JGP South Africa			8th
JGP Spain			11th
JGP Turkey				6th
Cup of Nice		4th	2nd
Gardena	8th
Triglav Trophy	4th	1st
National[1]
Spanish Champ.	2nd J		2nd J	1st J	1st		2nd	2nd	2nd	3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd