Gustavo Nieves facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||
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| Nationality | Spanish | |||||||
| Born | 9 March 1982 Vilalba, Lugo, Spain |
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| Sport | ||||||||
| Country |  Spain |
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| Sport | Track and field (T12) | |||||||
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Medal record
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Gustavo Nieves Campello was born on March 9, 1982. He is a Spanish Paralympic athlete who competes in track and field. Gustavo has a visual impairment, which means he has partial vision. He is classified as a T12/B2 athlete, which helps group athletes with similar levels of vision.
When Gustavo was 17, he suddenly lost his vision. Before this, he loved playing football. After losing his sight, he decided to switch to athletics. He started running competitively in 1998. Gustavo has competed in many big events, including the IPC European and World Championships. He also took part in the 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Paralympics.
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Gustavo's Early Life
Gustavo Nieves was born in Vilalba, Lugo, Spain. When he was very young, his parents moved to Germany. Gustavo returned to Spain when he was five years old. His father stayed in Germany.
Living with Partial Vision
Gustavo has partial vision. He lost his sight suddenly when he was 17 years old. Doctors were not sure why this happened. Before his vision changed, Gustavo was a talented football player. He played as a midfielder for a team called Sárdoma. He even tried out for a bigger team, Celta de Vigo. After his vision loss, he stopped playing football.
Education and Skills
Between 2004 and 2012, Gustavo studied at the University of Vigo. He trained to become a mining engineer. He first wanted to study biology. However, his vision problems made it hard to use a microscope. So, he changed his studies. Gustavo can also speak English well. This helps him communicate at athletic events.
Gustavo's Athletics Career
Gustavo became a track and field athlete after his vision loss. No one else in his family was involved in the sport. He started by running for fun in a park. His first official race was the Vigo half marathon in 1998. He joined different athletics clubs over the years. These included Celta Vigo athletics club and the Gymnastic Society of Pontevedra.
Early Paralympic Competitions
Gustavo competed in the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia. He finished sixth in the 10,000-meter race. In 2004, he focused on his studies instead of competing. He wanted to get a job because athletics did not pay enough. After 2004, more money became available for Paralympic athletes. This allowed him to spend more time on his sport.
Achievements and Records
In 2008, Gustavo won first place in the 10,000-meter T12 race at the Spanish national championships. He then competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. After these Games, he started training with a new coach, Pablo Diaz.
In 2009, Gustavo had a very successful year. He won two gold medals and one silver medal at the IPC European Athletics Championships. He even set a new world record in the 10,000 meters. His second gold medal was in the 5,000 meters, and he won silver in the 1,500 meters. He set his T12 10,000-meter world record in Galicia.
In 2010, Gustavo set another world record in the T12 10,000-meter race. He then broke his own record just 40 days later in Jerez de la Frontera.
Overcoming Injuries
In 2011, Gustavo injured his left foot while training. He had to do physical therapy, which included training in a pool. He started competing again in late September 2011. This was at a race in Berlin.
In 2012, Gustavo received a scholarship to help with his coaching. He trained for many hours each day. Before the London Games, he trained with other visually impaired Spanish athletes. He won the 2012 San Silvestre Candelaria 4,500-meter race. He also won first place in the 5,000 meters at the Spanish national Paralympic athletic championships.
London 2012 and Future Goals
Gustavo had some tendon problems before the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. He decided not to compete in the 2012 European Championships because of this. The city of Pontevedra held a special ceremony to honor him before the Games. At the London Paralympics, he finished fourth in the 5,000 meters. His time was very close to his personal best.
In 2013, Gustavo competed in the San Silvestre Candelaria 4,500-meter race again. He worked hard to qualify for the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France. He aimed to compete in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races. Gustavo's goal was to qualify for and compete in the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
