Lydia Valentín facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lydia Valentín

Valentín in 2008
Personal information
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1985-02-10) 10 February 1985 (age 40) Ponferrada, Spain
Years active	2002–2023
Height	1.69 m
Weight	78.80 kg
Sport
Country	Spain
Sport	Weightlifting
Event(s)	–81 kg
Club	Cas-Leonesa, CLE
Coached by	Matías Fernández
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Snatch: 124 kg (2014, Almaty) Clean & Jerk: 147 kg (2014, Tel Aviv) Total: 268 kg (2014, Tel Aviv)
Medal record Women's weightlifting Representing  Spain Olympic Games Gold 2012 London –75 kg Silver 2008 Beijing –75 kg Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro –75 kg World Championships Gold 2017 Anaheim –75 kg Gold 2018 Ashgabat –81 kg Silver 2019 Pattaya –81 kg Bronze 2013 Wrocław –75 kg European Championships Gold 2014 Tel Aviv –75 kg Gold 2015 Tbilisi –75 kg Gold 2017 Split –75 kg Gold 2018 Bucharest –75 kg Silver 2008 Lignano –75 kg Silver 2009 Bucharest –75 kg Silver 2012 Antalya –75 kg Silver 2013 Tirana –75 kg Silver 2019 Batumi –76 kg Bronze 2007 Strasbourg –75 kg Bronze 2010 Minsk –75 kg Bronze 2011 Kazan –75 kg Mediterranean Games Gold 2013 Mersin -75kg Gold 2018 Tarragona -75 kg

Lydia Valentín Pérez (born 10 February 1985) is a super strong Spanish athlete. She became a champion in Olympic weightlifting. Lydia has won many important titles. These include an Olympic Gold medal, two World Championships, and four European Championships. She competed in the 75 kg category for many years. Later, she moved to the 81 kg category. This happened when the International Weightlifting Federation changed the weight classes.

Lydia Valentín: A Weightlifting Star

Lydia Valentín has had an amazing career. She started competing in 2002 and retired in 2023. She is known for her strength and determination. Her journey shows how hard work can lead to incredible success.

Her Amazing Journey in Weightlifting

Lydia first competed at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships. She finished sixth in her weight class. In 2013, she won a bronze medal in the snatch event at the World Championships. She later received a silver medal for her snatch and a bronze for her total score. This happened because another athlete was disqualified.

Lydia became a World Champion in 2017. She won the gold medal in Anaheim, United States. She won another World Championship in 2018.

She also has a fantastic record at the European Weightlifting Championships. Lydia has won four gold medals there. These wins were in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. She also earned many silver and bronze medals. These include medals in both the snatch and clean and jerk lifts.

Olympic Triumphs and Challenges

Lydia Valentín is famous for her Olympic medals. Her path to these medals was quite unique.

Beijing 2008: A Silver Medal Story

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Lydia finished fifth. However, years later, things changed. Some athletes who finished ahead of her were found to have used banned substances. Because of this, Lydia was later awarded the silver medal! It showed her true strength and fair play.

London 2012: From Fourth to Gold

In the 2012 London Olympics, Lydia placed fourth. Again, the top three medalists were later disqualified for doping. This meant that Lydia Valentín was officially declared the Olympic Champion! She received her gold medal in March 2019. This was a huge moment for her and for Spain.

Rio 2016: Earning a Bronze

While waiting for her earlier medals to be confirmed, Lydia competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She lifted a total of 257 kg. This amazing effort earned her the bronze medal. At that time, it was Spain's first weightlifting medal ever. Later, with her other medals, it became her third Olympic medal.

Tokyo 2020: Competing in a New Category

Lydia continued to compete at the highest level. In 2021, she took part in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She competed in the women's 87 kg event. This showed her ability to adapt to new weight categories.

See also

• In Spanish: Lydia Valentín para niños