Abel Antón facts for kids
.jpg) Abel Antón, 6 June 2008 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | ||
Representing  Spain |
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| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1997 Athens | Marathon |
| Gold | 1999 Seville | Marathon |
| European Championships | ||
| Gold | 1994 Helsinki | 10,000 m |
| Bronze | 1994 Helsinki | 5000 m |
Abel Antón Rodrigo was born on October 24, 1962, in Ojuel, Spain. He is a famous Spanish athlete who used to run very long distances. He was amazing at both track races and road races, like marathons.
Abel Antón is best known for winning two world championships in the marathon. He won these big races in 1997 and again in 1999. After his running career, he also worked as a politician for a few years.
Contents
Abel Antón's Running Journey
Starting on the Track
Abel Antón began his sports career as a track runner. This means he competed in races held on a running track, usually shorter than marathons. He was very good at distances like 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
He took part in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He ran in the 5,000-meter race and finished in 8th place in the final. This was a great achievement for him.
European Championship Success
In 1994, Abel Antón had a fantastic year at the European Championships in Helsinki. He won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race. This made him the best in Europe for that distance!
At the same championships, he also won a bronze medal in the 5,000-meter race. This showed he was a strong runner in different long-distance events. He also competed in the 10,000-meter race at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, finishing 13th.
Moving to Marathons
In 1996, Abel Antón decided to try running marathons. A marathon is a very long race, about 42 kilometers (26 miles). He won his very first marathon race, the Berlin Marathon, which was an amazing start!
The next year, in 1997, he won the gold medal in the marathon at the World Championships in Athens. He beat many other great runners, including his countryman Martín Fiz.
Winning More Big Races
In 1998, Abel Antón made history by becoming the first Spanish runner to win the London Marathon. This is one of the most famous marathon races in the world. He ran his fastest marathon ever in this race.
He continued his success in 1999 by winning his second gold medal in the marathon at the World Championships in Seville. This made him the first person ever to win the marathon world title two times in a row! He won a major marathon race for four years in a row, from 1996 to 1999. Because of his amazing achievements, he was named the Spanish Sportsman of the Year in 1999.
End of His Running Career
Abel Antón ran in the marathon at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, but it wasn't his best race. He decided to stop competing in 2001. His last big race was the London Marathon, where he finished 8th. He had a truly remarkable career as a long-distance runner.
See also
In Spanish: Abel Antón para niños
