María Delgado facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality |  Spain |
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| Born | 8 October 1997 (age 27) Saragossa, Aragón, Spain |
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| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Aragua AD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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María Delgado Nadal is a talented Paralympic swimmer from Spain. Born on October 8, 1997, she has competed in many important swimming events around the world. María is known for her amazing achievements despite having a vision impairment.
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About María
María Delgado comes from the Aragon region in Spain. She was born with a vision impairment called congenital toxoplasmosis. This condition means she has only peripheral vision, which is like seeing only from the sides of her eyes.
María's Swimming Journey
María is an S12 classified swimmer. This classification is for athletes with a certain level of vision impairment. She is a proud member of the Aragua AD swimming club.
Early Competitions
In 2010, María competed in the Spanish Age Swimming Championships for blind and visually impaired swimmers. She won first place in almost all her races, and came third in one. That same year, she earned two bronze medals at the Paralympic Swimming Championship of Spain, representing her home region of Aragon.
María continued to shine in 2011. At the Paralympic Swimming Championship of Spain, she won a gold medal in the 50-meter backstroke and another gold in the 100-meter freestyle. She also took home a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke and a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle. She also competed in other local championships and the National Olympiad for young athletes.
Training for the Future
In 2012, María joined "Project AXA." This program helps young Spanish athletes become top competitors on the international stage. She attended a special training camp focusing on advanced swimming techniques. By this time, people already saw her as a potential competitor for the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
That year, she also won a bronze medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the Paralympic Swimming Championship of Spain. At the age championships, she earned a gold in the 100-meter butterfly and a silver in the 100-meter freestyle.
International Stage
In 2013, María trained at the CAR Higher Sports Council in Madrid with other elite athletes. She won two silver medals at the Paralympic Swimming Championship of Spain. She also competed at the Swimming Championship of Catalonia, where she achieved a qualifying time for the World Championships.
At just 15 years old, María competed in the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal, Canada. She raced in the 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter freestyle, and 200-meter medley. Her main goal was to gain experience for the upcoming 2016 Summer Paralympics.
Paralympic Success
María's hard work paid off at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. She won two bronze medals: one in the 100-meter backstroke S12 and another in the 50-meter freestyle S12. These were incredible achievements on the world's biggest stage for para-athletes.
She continued her success at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, where she earned two more bronze medals. One was in the 100-meter backstroke S12, and the other was in the Mixed 4×100-meter freestyle relay 49pts.
World and European Championships
María has also won medals at other major international events. She earned a bronze medal at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow in the 100-meter backstroke S12. She added another bronze at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester for the 100-meter backstroke S12.
At the European Championships, María won two bronze medals at the 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships in Eindhoven. These were for the 100-meter butterfly S12 and the 200-meter individual medley SM12.
María Delgado is an inspiring athlete who shows that with dedication and hard work, you can achieve great things!
See also
In Spanish: María Delgado Nadal para niños
