Antonio Peñalver facts for kids
Antonio Peñalver Asensio was born on December 1, 1968, in Alhama de Murcia, Spain. He is a famous retired Spanish athlete who specialized in the decathlon. The decathlon is a very challenging track and field event where athletes compete in ten different sports over two days! Antonio won a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He was also a part of the Larios Club, which is now known as A.A.Moratalaz.
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What is the Decathlon?
The decathlon is a super tough competition for athletes. It combines ten different track and field events into one big challenge. Athletes earn points for how well they do in each event. The person with the most points at the end wins!
The ten events are:
- Day 1:
- 100-meter dash
- Long jump
- Shot put
- High jump
- 400-meter dash
- Day 2:
- 110-meter hurdles
- Discus throw
- Pole vault
- Javelin throw
- 1500-meter run
There is also a similar event called the heptathlon, which has seven events. Antonio competed in both!
Antonio's Olympic Journey
Antonio Peñalver competed in three Olympic Games, which is a huge achievement for any athlete.
Seoul 1988
His first Olympic appearance was at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He finished 23rd in the decathlon. This was a great start to his Olympic career.
Barcelona 1992: Silver Medal!
The 1992 Summer Olympics were very special for Antonio because they were held in his home country, Barcelona, Spain. This was his best performance ever! He earned an amazing silver medal in the decathlon. He scored 8412 points, showing incredible skill and determination.
Atlanta 1996
Antonio competed in his third and final Olympic Games at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. He finished 9th in the decathlon. This was another strong performance, showing his consistent talent over many years.
Other Big Wins and Achievements
Besides his Olympic medal, Antonio Peñalver had many other important achievements in his career.
European and World Championships
He competed in several World Championships in Athletics and European Championships in Athletics. In 1990, he finished 6th at the European Championships in Split, Yugoslavia. In 1991, he was 8th at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Ibero-American Champion
In 1990, Antonio won a gold medal at the 1990 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics in Manaus, Brazil. This made him the champion of the decathlon for countries in the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula.
European Indoor Bronze
In 1992, the same year he won his Olympic silver, Antonio also won a bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Championships in Athletics in Genoa, Italy. This was in the heptathlon, the seven-event competition.
Antonio Peñalver's career was full of hard work and success, making him one of Spain's most celebrated decathletes.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Peñalver para niños
