María Reyes Sobrino Jiménez (born 6 January 1967) is a Spanish former racewalking athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metres race walk and 10 kilometres race walk. Her greatest achievement was a gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 1988. She was a five-time participant at the IAAF World Racewalking Cup and twice a World Championships in Athletics competitor.
Career Reyes was born in Viladecans, near Barcelona.María Reyes Sobrino . RFEA. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. Her father was a founding member of the local athletics club – Club Atletismo Viladecans – and this was where she picked up the sport. She began her international career in 1985, making her global debut at the 1985 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, then winning the gold medal at the 1985 European Athletics Junior Championships.European Junior Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. Her best finish at a major outdoor tournament followed at the 1986 European Athletics Championships, where she was fifth,European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 - STATISTICS HANDBOOK. European Athletics Association, pp.443–451. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. and her first senior medal came a year later at the 1987 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, sharing in the women's team silver alongside Teresa Palacio, Mari Cruz Díaz and Emilia Cano.. IAAF. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. She placed ninth at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics, which was the first ever women's world championship race walk.
Reyes enjoyed her best year in 1988, in which she became continental champion at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a 3000 m walk win in a championship record time of 12:48.99 minutes. She claimed a 10,000 m walk bronze at the 1988 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics outdoors. She would go on to win a further European indoor bronze medal in 1989 and took the Ibero-American title in 1990.Ibero-American Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16.European Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. She walked at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics and made three further appearances at the World Race Walking Cup but was largely out of contention, though she did place seventh at the 1990 European Athletics Championships.
She was a dominant figure nationally during her period, winning a total of 13 Spanish titles in her career – ahead of her contemporaries Palacio, Cruz Díaz and Cano. She was the inaugural winner of the 3000 m indoor title in 1984 and set a championship record of 12:42.29 minutes in 1989. She won five straight titles at the Spanish Athletics Championships from 1987 to 1991 in the 5000 m and 10,000 m distances, with her best of 22:09.21 minutes in the former distance being a championship record. At the national road walking championships, she won five titles between 1985 and 1993. She was a Spanish record holder in 3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, 5 km and 10 km events during her career.
On the professional circuit she was the 1984 winner at the Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni and set a meeting record at the 1990 Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona.Opuscolo . Sesto San Giovanni. Retrieved on 2013-05-06. She took up coaching following her retirement and among those she trained was Beatriz Pascual, a fellow Viladecans native.Beatriz Pascual: “La estrella de Viladecans”. Wang Connection (2013-08-09). Retrieved on 2018-01-16.
International competitions 1985World Race Walking CupSt John's, Isle of Man23rd10 km walk49:31European Junior ChampionshipsCottbus, East Germany1st5000 m walk22:56.841986European ChampionshipsStuttgart, West Germany5th10 km walk46.351987World Race Walking CupNew York City, United States15th10 km walk46:222ndTeam174 ptsWorld ChampionshipsRome, Italy9th10 km walk45:371988European Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary1st3000 m walk12:48.99 Ibero-American ChampionshipsMexico City, Mexico3rd10,000 m walk52:00.41989European Indoor ChampionshipsThe Hague, Netherlands3rd3000 m walk12:39.50IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary —3000 m walk World Race Walking CupBarcelona, Spain40th10 km walk48:071990European ChampionshipsSplit, Yugoslavia7th10 km walk45.42Ibero-American ChampionshipsManaus, Brazil1st10,000 m walk46:36.401991World Race Walking CupSan Jose, United States52nd10 km walk50:10World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan29th10 km walk47:311993World Race Walking CupMonterrey, Mexico74th10 km walk54:43
National titles Spanish Athletics Championships 5000 m walk: 1987, 1988, 1989 10,000 m walk: 1990, 1991 10 km walk: 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993Spanish Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16. Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships 3000 m walk: 1984, 1986, 1989Spanish Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16.
Personal bests 3000 metres race walk – 12:27.82 min (1989) 5000 metres race walk – 21:57.86 min (1990) 5 kilometres race walk – 21:25 min (1987) 10,000 metres race walk – 46:04.05 min (1989) 10 kilometres race walk – 44:16 min (1990)
All information from All AthleticsMaria Reyes Sobrino . All Athletics. Retrieved on 2018-01-16.
See also List of European Athletics Indoor Championships medalists (women)
References
External links