José Alonso (hurdler) facts for kids
José Alonso Valero, born on February 12, 1957, in El Vendrell, Tarragona, was a fantastic Spanish athlete. He was a hurdler, which means he specialized in running over obstacles, especially in the 400 metres hurdles race. He was also very good at the 400 metres race indoors, winning two medals at the 1985 and 1986 European Indoor Championships.
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A Champion Hurdler
José Alonso Valero was a very successful athlete who represented Spain in many big competitions around the world. He was especially good at the 400 metres hurdles, but he also excelled in the 400 metres flat race indoors and in relay teams.
Early Success and World Championships
In 1975, when he was still a junior athlete, José won a bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the European Junior Championships held in Athens, Greece. This was a great start to his career!
A few years later, in 1983, he competed in the very first World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland. He reached the semi-finals in the 400 metres hurdles. That same year was very busy and successful for him. At the Mediterranean Games in Morocco, he won a gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles and a bronze medal with the 4 × 400 metres relay team.
He also competed in the Ibero-American Championships in Barcelona, Spain, in 1983. There, he won a gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles and a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. He even took a silver medal in the 400 metres flat race.
European Indoor Medals
José Alonso Valero showed his talent indoors as well. In 1985, he won a bronze medal in the 400 metres at the European Indoor Championships in Piraeus, Greece. The very next year, in 1986, he won a silver medal in the same event at the European Indoor Championships held in Madrid, Spain.
More Gold Medals
His success continued in 1986 when he won two more gold medals at the Ibero-American Championships in Cuba. He was the champion in both the 400 metres hurdles and the 4 × 400 metres relay.
In 1987, José competed in the World Championships in Rome, Italy, where he finished 8th in the 400 metres hurdles. He also won another gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Latakia, Syria, for the 400 metres hurdles.
His winning streak in the 400 metres hurdles continued in 1988, as he secured another gold medal at the Ibero-American Championships in Mexico.
Later Career Highlights
José Alonso Valero kept competing at a high level. In 1989, he finished 5th in the 400 metres hurdles at the World Cup in Barcelona, Spain. He also reached the final of the 400 metres hurdles at the European Championships in Split, Yugoslavia, in 1990, finishing 7th. In the same year, he won a silver medal with the 4 × 400 metres relay team at the Ibero-American Championships in Brazil.
He retired after a long and successful career, having competed in many major international events and winning several medals for Spain.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Spain |
|||||
| 1975 | European Junior Championships | Athens, Greece | 3rd | 400 m hurdles | 51.57 |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 10th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.91 |
| Mediterranean Games | Dar-el-Beida, Morocco | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 50.96 | |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.54 | |||
| Ibero-American Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 2nd | 400 m | 46.92 | |
| 1st | 400 m hurdles | 50.08 | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.17 | |||
| 1985 | European Indoor Championships | Piraeus, Greece | 3rd | 400 m | 46.52 |
| 1986 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 2nd | 400 m | 47.12 |
| European Championships | Stuttgart, West Germany | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 50.30 | |
| Ibero-American Championships | La Habana, Cuba | 1st | 400m hurdles | 49.96 | |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.54 | |||
| 1987 | European Indoor Championships | Liévin, France | 10th (sf) | 400 m | 47.79 |
| World Championships | Rome, Italy | 8th | 400 m hurdles | 49.46 | |
| Mediterranean Games | Latakia, Syria | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 49.93 | |
| 1988 | European Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 16th (h) | 400 m | 47.84 |
| Ibero-American Championships | Ciudad de México, México | 1st | 400m hurdles | 49.20 A | |
| — | 4 × 400 m relay | DNF | |||
| 1989 | World Cup | Barcelona, Spain | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 50.09 |
| 1990 | European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | 7th | 400m hurdles | 49.77 |
| Ibero-American Championships | Manaus, Brazil | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:10.9 | |
| 1991 | World Indoor Championships | Seville, Spain | 7th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:10.92 |
References
- José Alonso at World AthleticsLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
See also
In Spanish: José Alonso Valero para niños
