Juan Manuel Molina facts for kids
Juan Manuel Molina Morote is a famous Spanish athlete who used to compete in race walking. Race walking is a sport where athletes walk very fast, but they must always keep one foot on the ground. Juan Manuel was born on March 15, 1979, in Cieza, Murcia, Spain. He represented his country, Spain, in many important sports events, including the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008.
One of his greatest achievements was winning a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer race walk at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He also took part in the IAAF World Race Walking Cup seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2012.
Juan Manuel started to become well-known in 2001. He won a gold medal at the 2001 European Athletics U23 Championships and a silver medal at the 2001 Summer Universiade. He then earned a bronze medal at the 2002 European Athletics Championships. In 2004, he finished fifth at the Athens Olympics. The year 2005 was very successful for him. He won silver medals at the European Race Walking Cup and the Mediterranean Games. He also won a gold medal at the Summer Universiade. His last big medal was a bronze at the Mediterranean Games in 2009.
Juan Manuel Molina stopped competing in race walking because of a long-term injury to his hamstring muscle. This happened after he had to stop during a 50-kilometer race at the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup.
Today, Juan Manuel Molina is a sports professor at UCAM, which is the University of Murcia in Spain.
Contents
Juan Manuel Molina's Major Achievements
Juan Manuel Molina competed in many important events for Spain. Here are some of his top results:
Olympic Games Appearances
- 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece: He finished 5th in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, PR China: He finished 12th in the 20-kilometer race walk.
World and European Championships Medals
- 2002 European Championships in Munich, Germany: He won a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland: He won a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
Other Important Medals
- 2001 European U23 Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands: He won a gold medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2001 Universiade in Beijing, PR China: He won a silver medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2005 European Race Walking Cup in Miskolc, Hungary: He won a silver medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2005 Universiade in İzmir, Turkey: He won a gold medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almería, Spain: He won a silver medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
- 2009 Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy: He won a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer race walk.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Manuel Molina Morote para niños
