Daniel Plaza Montero (born 3 July 1966) is a Spanish former race walker who competed in the 20 km event at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
Career Plaza won a gold medal in the 20 km walk event at the 1992 Olympic Games in his native Barcelona by beating Guillaume LeBlanc by a second becoming the first Spanish track & field athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal.Daniel Plaza. sports-reference.com. Retrieved 26 January 2014
He also won a silver medal at the 1990 European Championships in Split and bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart.
International competitions Representing 1988Ibero-American ChampionshipsMexico City, Mexico3rd20 km1:27:23.0 A Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 12th 20 km 1:21:53 1989 World Race Walking Cup L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain 11th 20 km 1:22:091990 European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 2nd 20 km 1:22:22Ibero-American ChampionshipsManaus, Brazil —20 kmDQ 1991 World Race Walking Cup San Jose, United States 4th 20 km 1:21:00 1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 1st 20 km 1:21:451993 World Race Walking Cup Monterrey, Mexico 6th 20 km 1:24:52 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 3rd 20 km 1:23:181994European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland —20 kmDQ1996 European Race Walking Cup A Coruña, Spain 2nd 20 km1:21:47 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 11th 20 km 1:22:05
Controversy Plaza was cleared of a nandrolone related drug ban by Spain's Supreme Court in 2006.Plaza overturns 10-year-old ban. BBC Sport (10 July 2006). Retrieved 26 January 2014
References