Blanca Fernandez Ochoa: Spanish Olympic skier found dead two weeks after vanishing

Body of 56-year-old discovered in mountainous area close to Madrid

Olympic medalist Blanca Fernandez Ochoa's body was found in the mountains near Los Molinos. (EPA)

The body of beloved Spanish Olympian Blanca Fernandez Ochoa has been found almost two weeks after she went missing.

The former skier's body was discovered in a mountainous area near Madrid.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause of death.

Ms Fernández was her country’s first woman to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, bringing home bronze in alpine ski race at the 1992 games in Albertville, France. It was the fourth and final time that she competed at the games.

Spain's secretary of state for sports María José Rienda said it "was a very sad day," after her body was identified.

The Olympian was first reported missing by her daughter Olivia Fresneda after she disappeared on 23 August.

Ms Fernández told family she planned to go walking in northern Spain but left her mobile at the Madrid home she was sharing with sister Lola.

More than 200 police officers, firefighters and forest rangers started a search for the skier after her Mercedes was later found abandoned in the mountain resort village of Cercedilla.

Her family were said to have been holding on to the hope she may have gone hiking and become stranded after being involved an accident.

But her body was found by tracker dogs on Wednesday afternoon.

The mother-of-two was one of five siblings who competed at the Winter Olympics for the Spanish skiing team.

Her brother, Francisco Fernández Ochoa, was the first Spaniard to win a gold medal at the games, claiming first place at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

After her retirement from competitive sports, Ms Fernández became a semi-regular fixture on Spanish TV starring in a series of reality shows.