Manuel Garnica Roldán facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||
| Born | August 25, 1978 Granada, Spain |
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Sport | Track and field (T12) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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Manuel Garnica Roldán was born on August 25, 1978. He is a Spanish Paralympic athlete. He competes in long-distance running events. Manuel has a vision impairment called retinitis pigmentosa. This is a condition that slowly affects his eyesight. He competes in the T12 category, which is for athletes with moderate vision loss.
Manuel competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics. He finished sixth in the marathon race. He also took part in the 10,000-meter race but did not finish. He has competed in many other races, mostly in Spain. At the 2011 IPC World Athletics Championships, he placed fourth in the marathon.
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About Manuel Garnica Roldán
Manuel Garnica Roldán was born in Granada, Spain. This was on August 25, 1978. His family moved to Valencia when he was very young.
Early Life and Vision
Manuel's vision problem started when he was two years old. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. This condition causes his eyesight to get worse over time. When he was nine, his vision got worse. He then learned to read using braille. Before that, he enjoyed playing basketball and handball.
Education and Awards
Manuel later moved to Madrid. There, he studied physiotherapy. He also trained to become a physical education teacher. In 2009, he received a special award. He was named the best athlete with a disability at the Onda Cero Sport Awards.
Manuel's Athletics Career
Manuel started running after his vision became much worse. He competes in long-distance track and field events. He is a T12 category athlete.
Early Races
In 2004, Manuel competed in a fun run in Cordoba. He finished in third place. In 2007, he ran in the Cross Christmas of Fatima Race. The next year, in 2008, he finished ninth in the Ruta de la Miel Race.
Paralympic Games
Manuel competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics. He finished sixth in the T12 marathon. He also started the 10,000-meter race. However, he did not finish it (DNF).
Major Competitions
In 2009, Manuel tried to qualify for the European Athletics Championships. He did not make it that year. However, he came in second in the Memorial Adolfo Rivera race. He was just one second behind the winner. He also finished second in the Subida al Santuario Virgen de la Sierra Race. He took part in the Paternal Gran Fondo Half Marathon, finishing fifth.
In 2010, Manuel won the 500-meter race in the City of Villa del Rio Race. That same year, he won the men's vision-impaired group. This was in the 'A goal for all' 10 km race.
Guide Runners and World Championships
In 2011, Manuel had a guide runner named Maribel Díaz. They won the Race of Trinity together. This race was part of the Spanish Provisional Racing Circuit. He also competed in the Villafranca de Cordoba Solidarity Race. Manuel won the men's vision-impaired group in the 2011 Cordoba Half Marathon.
Manuel competed at the 2011 IPC World Athletics Championships. This event was held in Christchurch, New Zealand. He finished fourth in the T12 marathon. He was one of two Spanish runners in that marathon. He qualified for these championships by running a fast time in the Sevilla Marathon. His guide runner for both races was Joaquin de la Vega. In 2012, Manuel received a scholarship. It was a €2,500 coaching scholarship from the Plan ADO. In July 2013, he participated in the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships.
