José Manuel Rodríguez (boccia) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | 2 September 1980 (age 44) Cádiz |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Sport | Boccia |
José Manuel Rodríguez Vázquez (born September 2, 1980) is a talented Spanish athlete. He plays boccia, a sport similar to bowls or pétanque, designed for athletes with severe physical disabilities. José Manuel has proudly represented Spain in this sport at the Paralympic Games. He even won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics held in Athens!
Contents
About José Manuel
José Manuel Rodríguez Vázquez was born on September 2, 1980, in Cádiz, Spain. He has a physical disability called cerebral palsy. This condition affects his movement and muscle coordination. Because of this, he competes in the BC3 category in boccia. Athletes in this category use a ramp or an assistant to help them launch the ball.
José Manuel has competed in several Paralympic Games. He took part in the 2004 Summer Paralympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics. At the 2008 Games, he finished second in the two-person team event. He also competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
José Manuel's Boccia Career
José Manuel is a member of the Adupace Jerez boccia club. He has competed in many important events around the world.
World Championships and Rankings
In June 2010, José Manuel was part of the Spanish national team at the World Championships in Lisbon. His BC3 team finished fifth in the competition.
The next year, in June 2011, he played in the Spanish Boccia Club Championship in Elche, Spain. He earned third place in the BC3 individual event. Later that year, in August 2011, he participated in the Boccia World Championships held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This event was very important because it helped athletes qualify for the London Paralympic Games. José Manuel reached the quarterfinals but was beaten by the player who eventually won the championship.
In January 2012, José Manuel missed a training camp. This camp was organized by Spain's Cerebral Palsy Federation of Sports (FEDPC) and the Spanish Sports Federation for Persons with Physical Disabilities (FEDDF).
National Success and Paralympics
In June 2012, José Manuel competed in the Spanish national championships. He teamed up with Diego Bejarano in the BC3 pairs competition. They won first place!
He then went on to compete at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. He played in the round of sixteen but lost his match 0–11.
By October 2013, José Manuel Rodríguez was ranked as the fourth-best boccia player in Spain for his classification.
See also
In Spanish: José Manuel Rodríguez Vázquez para niños
