FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Maria Vasci Will Debut At The Zurich Marato De Barcelona
The Barcelonan athlete, the only Spanish runner to achieve an Olympic
medal, will debut in the marathon distance at the next edition of the
Zurich Marató de Barcelona.
The ex-athlete María Vasco, specialist in race walking and bronze medalist
at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in 20 km race walking, announced her
participation in the Zurich Marató de Barcelona on March 15th 2015. Born in
Barcelona on December 26th 1975, Vasco has been at the top level in the
competition until a year ago. All along the last months Vasco has continued
with her training and now she is focused in preparing the Zurich Marató de
Barcelona, a challenge she had in mind for a long time.
For the organization of the race it is a great honor to be able to count on
an athlete of her level who for sure will give prestige to the test and
will encourage many runners to face her in a long distance race such as the
marathon. This is the opinion of Crtistian Llorens, sporting director of
the Zurich Marató de Barcelona: "We're very pleased that an athlete of her
category will debut in this test. We believe it will be a perfect incentive
inside the runners' community and for sure will lure the feminine
participation in a long distance race such as the marathon. Moreover, María
will be a great help in some promotional events of the test, for example in
the training prior to the race that we organize".
Meanwhile, María Vasco faces this challenge with eagerness: "On the 13th it
will be a year since I retired, and I never thought I would put on running
shoes and compete again, and here I'm with a new challenge in my hands. I
have a lot of respect for the marathon, and it is a long trip that
motivates and excites me, especially because it will be in my hometown, in
Barcelona. It is very special for me, and besides I feel like I'm in debt
with the city because in the European 2010 I wasn't able to compete due to
an injury I suffered in the middle of a competition that forced me to
retire. I couldn't have chosen a better scenario since the Zurich Marató de
Barcelona is one of the top European marathons and its growth in recent
years has been spectacular. It is an honor for me to debut in this test.
All my life I've been wishing it and I had it in mind. I left race walking
because it was a phase that I had to close, and although I know that my
professional phase is already something of the past, I'm a person who
searches everyday new challenges to keep on training. I don't think I'm
going to have a hard time adapting to it since I'm a long-distance athlete,
although it's a change for me and for example, in muscular level you get
pains unknown to me. With 37 years I feel like I have just started a
working life, but I look back and I feel privileged since I could have
never imagined getting here with 5 Olympic Games behind me".
Career summary María Vasco:
Olympic Games:
- 1996: Atlanta, 10 Km. (28th / 46:09)
- 2000: Sidney, 20 Km. (3rd / 1:30:23)
- 2004: Athens, 20 Km. (7th / 1:30:06)
- 2008: Peking, 20 Km. (5th / 1:27: 25)
- 2012: London, 20 Km. (10th / 1:28:14)
World Championships:
- 2005: Helsinki, 20 Km (4th / 1:28:51)
- 2007: Osaka, 20 Km (3rd / 1:30:47)
- Spanish absolute Recordwoman in 20 Km in race walking on road
(1:27:25) in 2008
- Spanish absolute Recordwoman in 10 Km in race walking on road
(43:02) in 1998 and 20 Km (1:27:36) in 2004
- Spanish absolute Recordwoman in 5 Km in race walking on road
(21:04) in 2005
- Best record of veterans F+35 of 5.000 meters in race walking on
track (21:15:57) in 2012
- Best record of veterans F+35 of 10.000 meters in race walking on
track (44:45:18) in 2011
- Best record of veterans F+35 of 10 Km in race walking on road
(43:43) in 2012
- Best record of veterans F+35 of 20 Km in race walking on road
(1:28:14) in 2012
- Spanish absolute champion in 10 Km race walking on road (1996)
and outdoor track (1997 - 98 - 99 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005)
- Spanish absolute champion in 20 Km race walking on road ( 1998 -
2001 - 2002 -2003 - 2004)
- Spanish junior champion in 5 Km race walking on road (1992 - 1993
- 1994)
- Spanish junior champion in 3.000 meters race walking on indoor
track (1993)
- Spanish young promise champion in 5.000 meters race walking on
outdoor track (1997)
- Junior Spanish champion in 2.000 meters race walking on indoor
track (1990 - 1991)
- Best Spanish athlete of the year 2010
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