María Espinoza facts for kids
Espinoza with her silver medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics
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| Full name | María del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Chayito | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Mexico |
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| Born | November 27, 1987 La Brecha, Sinaloa, Mexico |
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| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Taekwondo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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María del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza, born on November 27, 1987, is a famous Mexican athlete. She is a champion in taekwondo, a martial art from Korea. María is one of only two Mexican women to ever win an Olympic gold medal. The other amazing athlete is Soraya Jiménez.
Contents
Early Life and Training
María Espinoza was born in La Brecha, Sinaloa, Mexico. Her father worked as a fisherman, and her mother was a homemaker. María started learning taekwondo when she was just five years old. This early start helped her become a top athlete.
Amazing Taekwondo Career
María Espinoza began her international career in 2003. She won her first big competition at the Pan American Youth Championship in Rio de Janeiro. After that, she competed in many open tournaments in countries like Canada, France, and Germany.
Winning World and Pan American Titles
In 2007, María achieved two major victories. She won the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships in Beijing. She competed in the Middleweight category (under 72 kg). Later that year, she also won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. This time, she competed in the Heavyweight category (over 67 kg).
Olympic Journey and Medals
María Espinoza has competed in several Olympic Games, earning multiple medals for Mexico.
2008 Beijing Olympics Gold
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, María competed in the +67 kg weight class. She won her first match against Khaoula Ben Hamza from Tunisia. Next, she beat Karolina Kedzierska from Sweden. In the semifinals, she defeated Sarah Stevenson from Great Britain. María then won the gold medal by beating Nina Solheim from Norway. This was Mexico's second gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
2012 London Olympics Bronze
María returned to the Olympics in London in 2012. She had the honor of carrying Mexico's flag during the opening ceremony. She won a bronze medal at these games. She won her first fight but lost in the quarterfinals to Milica Mandić. However, she fought her way back through the repechage rounds. She won her bronze medal match against Glenhis Hernández.
2016 Rio Olympics Silver
In Rio 2016, María Espinoza won a silver medal. This made her the first Mexican female athlete to win an Olympic medal in three different Olympic Games. She also became the second Mexican athlete to win medals in three Olympics in a row. María was chosen to carry Mexico's flag again at the closing ceremony in 2016.
Recent Achievements
María Espinoza continued to compete at a high level. On May 16, 2019, she won a silver medal at the Taekwondo World Championships in Manchester.
Military Service
María Espinoza is also a member of the Mexican Army. She holds the rank of Cabo (Corporal) auxiliar de Educación Física y Deportes. Many top athletes join the military in Mexico. This provides them with a steady income and access to excellent training facilities. For the 2016 Rio Olympics, 21 out of 125 Mexican athletes were part of the military. Four of the five medals won by Mexico at those games were earned by military personnel.
Education
María Espinoza also focused on her education. She studied Business Administration at the Universidad del Valle de Mexico. Her university later honored her by adding her to their Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: María del Rosario Espinoza para niños
