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Former World Cross Country champion, Spanish athlete Carmen Valero, has passed away at the age of 68 in her hometown of Sabadell. Valero, a trailblazer for Spanish female athletes, achieved notable milestones during her career.
In 1976, she made history as the first Spanish woman to compete in the Olympic Games in athletics at the Montreal Olympics, participating in the 800m and 1500m races. Prior to the Olympics, Valero had already secured her first world cross country title in Chepstow, Wales, defeating future Olympic champions Tatyana Kazankina of the Soviet Union and Italy’s Gabriella Dorio.
In 1977, Valero successfully defended her world cross country title in Dusseldorf, marking her as the first woman to win three medals at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. This achievement followed her earlier bronze medal in Rabat in 1975.
Valero’s illustrious career included winning 25 Spanish titles across various disciplines, including cross country, 800m, 1500m, and 3000m. She set 15 national records in these distances, with notable records including 2:04.12 for 800m (1976), 4:08.34 for 1500m (1976), and 9:00.9 for 3000m (1978). Her contributions to Spanish athletics and her pioneering achievements have left an enduring legacy.
