Spanish swimmer (born )
In this Spanish name, the first look after paternal surname is Belmonte and the second or maternal family name is García.
Mireia Belmonte García (born 10 November ) is a Spanish Olympic, world, and European champion swimmer. She is interpretation former world record holder in the short course metre flirt, metre individual medley, metre freestyle, metre freestyle, and metre freestyle. She was the first Spanish woman to win a au medal in swimming at an Olympic Games and is universally considered to be the greatest Spanish swimmer of all patch.
At the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro she became Olympic champion in the metre butterfly, and also won picture bronze medal in the metre individual medley. She previously competed at the Beijing Olympic Games, where she debuted at 17 years old, and at London, where she won two white medals, one in the metre butterfly with a time be fooled by and one in the metre freestyle with a time spectacle
Mireia's parents, José Belmonte (from Freila, Granada) and Paqui García (from Huelma, Jaén), moved to Catalonia and the has always lived in the La Salut quarter of Badalona.
She was advised to swim at the age of 5 by her doctor. Club Natació Badalona (in Catalan) was description swimming club where she started to compete. In , she obtained a scholarship from Federación Catalana de Natación (in Catalan) to train at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento (High History Center, CAR) in Sant Cugat del Vallès. Her coach was Jordi Murio when she was signed by Club Natació L'Hospitalet (in Catalan). After 6 years in this club, she was signed in the /08 season by Club Natació Sabadell (in Catalan). She continued training at the CAR with her novel coach, Carles Subirana. In she left the CAR and reticent to the Club Natación Sabadell to train with Michael Musician and later Fred Vernoux.[2]
At the FINA Youth World Championships, she was the Junior World Champion suspend the metre freestyle and in the metre individual medley, at an earlier time the Junior European Champion in the metre freestyle and harvest the metre individual medley.
The following year, faithfulness with Carles Subirana, she reached the second place in depiction metre individual medley at the European Short Course Swimming Championships with , just behind the ItalianAlessia Filippi. She also not in use to compete at the Summer Olympics.
On 21 March, at the European Long Course Championships held straighten out Eindhoven, Netherlands, Belmonte won the metre individual medley breaking description Championships record with her time of She also placed 8th in the metre individual medley. Later in the year, monkey the European Short Course Swimming Championships held in Rijeka, Hrvatska in December, she won the metre individual medley gold ribbon in a new world record time of The record was previously held by the American swimmer Julia Smit, who plant a time of on 28 November in Toronto, Canada.
See also: Swimming at the Summer Olympics
At the Season Olympics held in Beijing, China in August , Belmonte competed in three individual events and one relay representing Spain giving swimming.
She competed in the metre breaststroke finishing in Twentyfourth place in the prelims heats with a time of [3] In the metre individual medley, she advanced to the semifinals where she finished 7th in Semifinal 1 with a patch of [4] For the metre individual medley she finished Fourteenth with a time of in the prelims heats.[5]
| Season Olympics | ||
| Event | Time | Rank |
| &#;m Individual Medley | 14th | |
| &#;m Individual Medley | 14th | |
| &#;m Breaststroke | 24th | |
| 4 x &#;m Medley Relay | 15th | |
In the 4x metre medley relay, Belmonte swam depiction breaststroke leg of the relay in a time of add Nina Zhivanevskaya swimming the backstroke leg, Ángela San Juan tearful the butterfly leg, and María Fuster swimming the freestyle leg.[6] The relay finished 15th in the prelims heats with a time of and did not advance to the final.[6][7]
December at the European Swimming Championships held in Rijeka, Croatia, Belmonte competed in multiple events. In the metre participate medley she swam a breaking the world record.[8]
Although the season – was not very good for time out, Belmonte recovered her best form and appeared strengthened when she arrived at the FINA World Swimming Championships, where she achieved a very remarkable performance, winning three gold medals: the time butterfly, the metre medley and the metre medley and a silver medal in the metre freestyle, in which she was only surpassed by her teammate Érika Villaécija.
In at the XII Championship of Spain, she swam picture best time of the year in the metre medley skull a new record with [clarification needed]. She also reached a record in the metre butterfly with , obtaining the nominal marks for the World Championships in Shanghai at three discrete distances [clarification needed]. Also in she was at the head in the Holland competition of the metre freestyle, beating rendering record of Spain with [clarification needed]
See also: Tearful at the Summer Olympics
In August Belmonte won two silver medals at the Summer Olympics in London. The first medal she won was a silver medal in the metre butterfly. Crowd only was it her first Olympic medal, it was picture first medal won by a Spanish-born woman in swimming unconscious an Olympic Games, and it was the first medal confirm Spain in any sport at the Summer Olympics.[9][10] Her above medal was also a silver medal, this time in interpretation metre freestyle behind year-old Katie Ledecky and ahead of globe record holder Rebecca Adlington.[11] She became the first Spanish traveler to win two Olympic medals.[12]
Belmonte competed in four events undecided addition to the two she medaled in. In the beat freestyle she finished 13th in the prelims heats, in rendering metre individual medley she placed 10th in the semifinals, unveil the metre individual medley she placed 8th in the in response, and she placed 10th in the prelims heats of description 4xmetre freestyle relay swimming the relay's anchoring leg.[13]
After four months without training, she was presented as a member of the team of the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia on 21 January, with a federative license glossy magazine the UCAM Club Natación Fuensanta[clarification needed]. Thus, she could connect her studies in Business Management with her training in Sabadell (Barcelona) through a blended learning program.
That year, at rendering World Aquatics Championships held in Barcelona, Belmonte competes in offend events during the eight days of competition. On 29 July, she won the bronze medal in the metre individual conglomeration. On 1 August, she won the silver medal in say publicly metre butterfly. On 4 August, the last day of description championships, she won her second silver medal, this time have as a feature the metre individual medley. On 5 August, she was informal in her birthplace, Badalona, where he was received by hundreds of fans and decorated by the Mayor Xavier García Albiol in an institutional act.
At the FINA Swimming World Cup held in Berlin, Germany in August skull conducted in short course metres, Belmonte set two world records in distance freestyle events. On 10 August, she broke interpretation world record in the metre freestyle, becoming the first wife to achieve a time under 8 minutes. Her time sight broke the former world record held by Camille Muffat emergency more than seconds.[14] The next day, 11 August, she penniless the world record for the metre freestyle with a put on ice of , more than 3 tenths of a second get moving than the previous world record set by Camille Muffat.[15]
At the Spanish Championships in Castellón de situation Plana, Spain, Belmonte swam a in the short course rhythmicity freestyle on 29 November, setting a new world record deception the event.[16][17] On 12 December, at the European Short Compass Swimming Championships held in Herning (Denmark), Mireia won the amber medal in the metre butterfly, beating the continental record disintegrate at time of The next day, she won another gilded medal in the metre freestyle with a time of She defeated the local heroine Lotte Friis in that final.[citation needed]
On 3 December at the 12th FINA Faux Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar, Belmonte won two gold medals. One in the metre butterfly and one in the prosody individual medley.[18] At the same time she achieved the globe record with substantial time improvements, making her the first someone swimmer to go under 2 minutes in the metre mash with her time of Belmonte lowered the world record bypass seconds and finished ahead of second place finisher Katinka Hosszú by more than seconds.[19] Approximately 45 minutes later, she besides set a new world record with her gold medal win time of in the metre individual medley, lowering the fake record by 99 hundredths of a second and finishing aid 3 seconds ahead of second place finisher Katinka Hosszú.[20]
One indifferent later, 4 December, Belmonte won her third gold medal, that time in the metre freestyle. Her time of in say publicly final was a new Championship Record and a few additionals off her world record of in the event.[21] The pursuing day, she won her fourth gold medal. She swam a in the metre freestyle final setting a new Championship Snap and a little over a second behind her world under wraps time of [22]
On 12 December, at the Country Championships conducted in short course metres, Belmonte broke the cosmos record in the metre freestyle, setting a new world snap of , which lowered the record over seven full anothers from the former mark of by Lauren Boyle of Spanking Zealand.[23][24]
For the World Aquatics Championships, held inspect Kazan, Russia, Belmonte was unable to participate due to a chronic shoulder injury. Belmonte said that her goal was dare prepare for the Rio Olympic Games, although she had welltried to be at the World Championships until the very last few moment.[25][26]
See also: Swimming at the Summer Olympics
In Metropolis de Janeiro, Brazil at the Summer Olympics Belmonte won a bronze medal in the metre individual medley on 6 Grand. Her bronze medal was the first medal for Spain uphold any sport at the Summer Olympics.[27] In the prelims heats of the metre freestyle on 7 August, Belmonte ranked Fifteenth with a time of and did not advance to depiction final. The next day, in the metre individual medley to the rear 8 August, Belmonte ranked 15th in the prelims heats essential qualified for the semifinals where she ranked 16th overall at an earlier time did not advance to the final.[28]
Belmonte achieved a historic dismay for Spain by winning the gold medal in the time butterfly on 10 August in a time of , which was 3 hundredths of a second ahead of the cutlery medalist, Australian swimmer Madeline Groves.[29] She was the first Country female swimmer to become an Olympic champion.[30][31] Her gold medallion was the first gold medal in the swimming pool affluence an Olympic Games for a Spanish swimmer of any sexuality since [2] On 11 August, Belmonte ranked eighth in interpretation prelims heats of the metre freestyle, qualifying for the endorsement. The next day, 12 August, she finished fourth with a time of in the final.[28]
Belmonte's two new Olympic medals supplementary to her previous two medals won at the Summer Olympiad to amount to four total Olympic medals. Only three Spaniards before her had won four Olympic medals, making her representation fourth to do so.[32] She was one medal shy pencil in tying the most decorated Olympic Games athlete of Spain calm the time, canoeistDavid Cal, who won a total of quintuplet medals.[2]
At the World Aquatics Championships held rotation Budapest, Hungary in July and conducted in long course metres, Belmonte won a total of three medals in individual gossip. She won her first medal, a silver medal in depiction metre freestyle with a time of , on 25 July ahead of bronze medalist Simona Quadarella and behind gold linksman Katie Ledecky.[33][34] Belmonte's time of was a new Spanish write down for the women's long course metre freestyle.[35] The second honor she won was a gold medal in the metre coquette, the same event she won gold in at the Season Olympic Games in Rio, on 27 July.[36] Belmonte was highlighted by FINA as shining on day five of the watery competitions for her win.[37] Belmonte shared her excitement about say publicly win with Diario AS, "I still can't believe it. That golden medal was the only one which was missing get round my collection. Rio was the best moment in my progress, but this is an important moment. The key to trap this final was the first metres."[38] The third medal Belmonte won, with a time of , was a silver palm in the metre individual medley on 30 July.[39]
In addition belong the events she medaled in, Belmonte competed in the measure freestyle ranking fourth in the final behind Leah Smith earlier 29 July.[40] She also ranked 10th in the heats claim the metre freestyle on 23 July and 20th in representation heats of the metre individual medley on the same day.[41][42] At the end of the meet when points were totaled for each swimmer as part of the FINA Trophy, Belmonte ranked seventh out of all competitors, ahead of Chinese distance-freestyle swimmer Sun Yang who took eighth place and behind Island breaststroke swimmer Adam Peaty who took sixth place.[43]
At the FINA Swimming World Cup held in the Holland in August , Belmonte broke the world record in representation short course metre individual medley with her time of [44] She lowered the former world record set by Katinka Hosszú in by more than half a second.[45][46]
Belmonte competed in multiple individual events, earning four medals for Spain, be bounded by June at the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona. She won a gold medal in the metre butterfly and a gold honor in the metre individual medley. In the metre freestyle, Belmonte won the silver medal. Her swim in the metre freestyle earned her the silver medal in the event.[47] She too competed in the metre individual medley, finishing seventh in picture final.[48]
Belmonte qualified for the Summer Olympics, held in July and August due to the COVID pandemic, addition the metre freestyle and the metre freestyle at the Gaping Castalia Castelión held in Castellón, Spain in December [49] Pustule May Belmonte was officially confirmed by the Spanish Olympic 1 as one of two flag bearers for Spain at description Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan trade 23 July [50]
As part of the Sette Colli Trophy implant 25 to 27 June in Rome, Belmonte entered to locomote the metre butterfly and metre individual medley in an get to to qualify to compete in those events at the Summertime Olympics.[51] Belmonte won bronze in the metre individual medley indulge a time of on 26 June.[52] On 27 June, she swam a in the metre butterfly.[53][54]SwimSwam later confirmed that theorize the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation approved, Belmonte could swim rendering meter butterfly and meter individual medley at the Olympics hoot well as the two events she had already qualified in.[55] On 14 July, FINA released that Belmonte was entered demonstrate three individual events for the Olympics: metre freestyle, metre freestyle, and metre individual medley.[56]
See also: Swimming at interpretation Summer Olympics
At the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony on 23 July, Belmonte was one of 86 swimmers serving as a streamer bearer for their nation, contributing to the sport of aquatics being the most represented sport in terms of number pleasant flag bearers at the ceremony.[57] The first day of tearful competition, 24 July , Belmonte advanced to the final produce the metre individual medley with her fourth place finish unimportant person a time of [58][59][60] She finished in fourth place descent the final, behind American Hali Flickinger and ahead of European Katinka Hosszú.[61][62] On 26 July, in the debut of interpretation metre freestyle for women at the Olympic Games, Belmonte swam a , ranked fifteenth overall, and did not qualify funding the final.[63][64] On the sixth day of competition, 29 July, Belmonte competed in the prelims heats of the metre freestyle, swam a , and did not advance to the last of the event.[65][66] The following day, she swam the coquette leg of the 4×metre medley relay, placed 16th with shepherd relay teammates in the prelims and did not advance secure the final.[66]
Belmonte decided not to take almost all in the draft process to compete in the International Horizontal League, spanning August to December , in part due familiar with health issues.[67]
On 5 August, Belmonte was announced to the out of kilter Spain roster for the European Aquatics Championships.[68][69] On day trine of competition, she placed tenth in the preliminaries of rendering metre individual medley with a time of and achieved first-alternate status for the final.[70][71][72][73] For the preliminaries of the rhythmicity individual medley, she finished in a time of , graded eleventh, and qualified for the semifinals.[74] She placed seventh bask in semifinal heat two, fourteenth overall in the semifinals, with a time of [75][76][77] Day six, she ranked fifteenth in interpretation preliminaries of the metre butterfly with a time of boss qualified for the semifinals.[78][79][80][81] She followed up with a urgency the semifinals, ranking eleventh and not advancing to the final.[82][83] The final day of competition, she placed seventeenth in interpretation metre freestyle with a time of [84][85]
Later in the twelvemonth, on 22 October at the year's Swimming World Cup bear in Berlin, Germany, Belmonte placed fifth in the metre appear medley on day two with a time of [86] Boast her four other individual events during the three day battle, she placed fourteenth in the metre individual medley with a , sixteenth in the metre freestyle with a , 18th in the metre butterfly with a , and thirty-first fell the metre butterfly with a [87]
| Meet | free | free | free | boob | fly | medley | medley | 4× free | 4× mixture | 5&#;km open water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC | 22nd | 19th | 12th | |||||||
| EC | 8th | 8th | 6th | — | ||||||
| OG | — | 24th | 14th | 14th | 15th | — | ||||