Juan Manuel Molina facts for kids
Juan Manuel Molina Morote was born on March 15, 1979, in Cieza, Murcia, Spain. He is a former race walker, which is a sport where athletes walk as fast as possible without running. Juan Manuel Molina represented Spain in two Olympic Games, in 2004 and 2008.
His biggest achievement was winning a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer walk event. This happened at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He also took part in the IAAF World Race Walking Cup seven times. He competed in this important event from 1999 until 2012.
Early Career and First Medals
Juan Manuel Molina started to make a name for himself in 2001. He won first place at the 2001 European Athletics U23 Championships. He also earned a second-place medal at the 2001 Summer Universiade. This showed he was a rising star in race walking.
In 2002, he won a bronze medal at the 2002 European Athletics Championships. This helped him become well-known in the senior racing world. He finished fifth at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Winning Streak in 2005
The year 2005 was very successful for Juan Manuel Molina. He won several medals that year.
- He earned two silver medals at the European Race Walking Cup.
- He also won a silver medal at the Mediterranean Games.
- He achieved a gold medal at the Summer Universiade.
- His most important medal was the bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland.
Later Career and Retirement
Juan Manuel Molina continued to compete after 2005. His last major medal came at the Mediterranean Games in 2009. There, he won a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer walk.
He stopped competing in the sport after the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup. He had to retire because of a long-term injury to his hamstring. He had to drop out of the 50-kilometer race during the event.
Today, Juan Manuel Molina is a sports professor. He teaches at UCAM, which is the University of Murcia in Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Manuel Molina Morote para niños
