Madeline de Jesús (born November 4, 1957) is a Puerto Rican former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She won a bronze medal at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games and went on to represent Puerto Rico globally, competing in the long jump at both the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.
De Jesús is most famously remembered for orchestrating a notorious twin-switching scandal at the 1984 Olympic Games. After suffering an injury during her individual long jump event, she realized she could not compete in the 4 × 400-meter relay and secretly enlisted her identical twin sister, Margaret, to run the qualifying heat as an imposter. Although the team successfully advanced, the Puerto Rican head coach discovered the deception and withdrew the squad from the final.
Career He was born on 4 November 1957.
He competed in the long jump at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games. He won the bronze medal with a jump of 6.47 m, losing to Eloína Echevarría, who reached 6.53 m, and Shonel Ferguson, who reached 6.47 m. She competed in two Olympics, in the finishing in position 21st in round 1 of two rounds and in 1988 Summer Olympics, finishing in position 23rd in round 1 of two rounds.
Olympic cheating After Puerto Rico's Madeline de Jesus got injured while competing in the long jump, she was unable to run in the 4×400-meter relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She came up with a plan and enlisted her identical twin sister, Margaret, as an imposter for a qualifying heat. Margaret ran the second leg of the qualifier, and the team advanced but when the chief coach of the Puerto Rican team learned of the ruse, he pulled his team out of the final.
Achievements Representing 1977Central American and Caribbean Championships Xalapa, Mexico3rd4 × 400 m relay3:48.571978Central American and Caribbean GamesMedellín, Colombia6thLong jump5.74 m1979Central American and Caribbean Championships Guadalajara, Mexico3rd4 × 100 m relay47.16 2ndLong jump5.87 mPan American GamesSan Juan, Puerto Rico –4 × 100 m relayDQ7thLong jump5.88 m1981Central American and Caribbean Championships Santo Domingo, DR 3rdLong jump6.20 mUniversiadeBucharest, Romania13thLong jump6.17 m1982 Central American and Caribbean GamesHavana, Cuba 3rdLong jump6.47 m1983Central American and Caribbean Championships Havana, Cuba2nd4 × 100 m relay46.692nd4 × 400 m relay3:39.36 2ndLong jump6.49 m1984Olympic GamesLos Angeles, United States21st (q)Long jump5.63 m1987Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsCaracas, Venezuela 2ndLong jump6.11 mPan American GamesIndianapolis, United States5thLong jump6.28 m1988Ibero-American ChampionshipsMexico City, Mexico1stLong jump6.96 m AOlympic GamesSeoul, South Korea23rd (q)Long jump6.08 m
See also List of Puerto Ricans
References
External links