Mireia Belmonte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mireia Belmonte

Belmonte in 2018
Personal information
Born	(1990-11-10) 10 November 1990 (age 34) Badalona, Spain
Height	1.70 m
Weight	60 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, Butterfly, Individual Medley
Club	UCAM Club Natación Fuensanta
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Spain International aquatics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 1 World Championships (LC) 1 4 1 World Championships (SC) 7 2 1 European Championships (LC) 4 5 4 European Championships (SC) 9 2 0 Mediterranean Games 2 4 0 Total 24 20 7 Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m butterfly Silver 2012 London 800 m freestyle Silver 2012 London 200 m butterfly Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 2017 Budapest 200 m butterfly Silver 2013 Barcelona 200 m butterfly Silver 2013 Barcelona 400 m medley Silver 2017 Budapest 1500 m freestyle Silver 2017 Budapest 400 m medley Bronze 2013 Barcelona 200 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2010 Dubai 200 m butterfly Gold 2010 Dubai 200 m medley Gold 2010 Dubai 400 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 200 m butterfly Gold 2014 Doha 400 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 400 m freestyle Gold 2014 Doha 800 m freestyle Silver 2008 Manchester 200 m medley Silver 2010 Dubai 800 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Manchester 400 m medley European Championships (LC) Gold 2008 Eindhoven 200 m medley Gold 2012 Debrecen 1500 m freestyle Gold 2014 Berlin 200 m butterfly Gold 2014 Berlin 1500 m freestyle Silver 2012 Debrecen 400 m freestyle Silver 2014 Berlin 400 m medley Silver 2014 Berlin 800 m freestyle Silver 2016 London 1500 m freestyle Silver 2016 London 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Eindhoven 200 m butterfly Bronze 2014 Berlin 400 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Berlin 5 km open water Bronze 2016 London 400 m freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 2008 Rijeka 400 m medley Gold 2011 Szczecin 400 m freestyle Gold 2011 Szczecin 200 m butterfly Gold 2011 Szczecin 200 m medley Gold 2011 Szczecin 400 m medley Gold 2013 Herning 400 m freestyle Gold 2013 Herning 800 m freestyle Gold 2013 Herning 200 m butterfly Gold 2013 Herning 400 m medley Silver 2007 Debrecen 400 m medley Silver 2009 Istanbul 400 m medley Mediterranean Games Gold 2018 Tarragona 200 m medley Gold 2018 Tarragona 200 m butterfly Silver 2009 Pescara 200 m butterfly Silver 2009 Pescara 200 m medley Silver 2018 Tarragona 800 m freestyle Silver 2018 Tarragona 400 m freestyle

Mireia Belmonte García (born 10 November 1990) is a champion swimmer from Spain. She has won medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships. Many people think she is the greatest Spanish swimmer of all time.

Belmonte is famous for being the first Spanish woman to win a gold Olympic medal in swimming. She is also a former world record holder in five different events in short course (25-meter) pools. These events are the 200-meter butterfly, 400-meter individual medley, and the 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyle.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. She also won a bronze medal in the 400-meter individual medley. Before that, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she won two silver medals.

Early Life and Training

Mireia Belmonte was born in Badalona, a city in Catalonia, Spain. Her parents, José Belmonte and Paqui García, had moved to Catalonia from Andalusia.

When Mireia was five years old, her doctor suggested she start swimming for her health. She began competing at the Club Natació Badalona. In 2003, she received a scholarship to train at a high-performance center in Sant Cugat del Vallès. Over the years, she trained with different clubs and coaches, which helped her become a top athlete.

Swimming Career

Belmonte's career is full of amazing achievements. She has competed in the biggest swimming events around the world, including four Olympic Games.

First Olympic Games in 2008

Belmonte made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, when she was just 17 years old. She competed in several events, including the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. Although she did not win a medal, it was a great experience for the young swimmer.

That same year, she won a gold medal at the European Championships in the 200-meter individual medley. She also set a new world record in the 400-meter individual medley at the European Short Course Championships.

Success at the 2012 London Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Belmonte won two silver medals. Her first medal was in the 200-meter butterfly. This was a historic moment, as she became the first Spanish-born woman to win an Olympic swimming medal.

Her second silver medal came in the 800-meter freestyle. With these two medals, she became the first Spanish swimmer ever to win two medals at a single Olympic Games.

World Records and Championships

In 2013, Belmonte continued to impress. At the 2013 FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin, she broke two world records in just two days. She became the first woman to swim the 800-meter freestyle in under 8 minutes. The next day, she set a new world record for the 400-meter freestyle.

The 2014 World Championships in Doha were also very successful for her. She won four gold medals and set two more world records. One of her most incredible achievements was in the 200-meter butterfly, where she became the first woman to finish in under 2 minutes.

Olympic Champion in 2016

Belmonte's biggest dream came true at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly, becoming an Olympic champion. She won by just three-hundredths of a second in a very exciting race.

This was the first Olympic gold medal for a Spanish female swimmer. She also won a bronze medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the same Games. By the end of the Rio Olympics, she had a total of four Olympic medals.

More World Titles and Records

In 2017, Belmonte added more medals to her collection. At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, she won a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. She also won two silver medals in the 1500-meter freestyle and the 400-meter individual medley.

That same year, she broke another world record. At the 2017 FINA Swimming World Cup, she set a new world record in the short course 400-meter individual medley.

Later Career and Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Belmonte competed in her fourth Olympic Games at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were held in 2021. She was chosen as one of Spain's flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony, a great honor for any athlete.

In Tokyo, she reached the final of the 400-meter individual medley and finished in fourth place. She also competed in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events.

Personal Best Times

A swimmer's "personal best" is the fastest time they have ever recorded in an event. Here are some of Mireia Belmonte's fastest times.

Long Course (50m pool)

• 800 m freestyle: 8:18.55 (National Record)
• 1500 m freestyle: 15:50.89 (National Record)
• 200 m butterfly: 2:04.78 (National Record)
• 200 m individual medley: 2:09.45 (National Record)
• 400 m individual medley: 4:31.21 (National Record)

Short Course (25m pool)

• 200 m butterfly: 1:59.61 (World Record)
• 400 m individual medley: 4:18.94 (World Record)
• 400 m freestyle: 3:54.52 (European Record)
• 800 m freestyle: 7:59.34 (European Record)

Awards and Honors

Mireia Belmonte has received many awards for her amazing career.

• In 2013, she won the Queen Sofía Award as the Best Spanish Sportswoman.
• In 2017, the newspaper Diario AS named her the "Best Spanish Sportswoman in History."
• In 2020, the swimming news website SwimSwam ranked her as one of the top swimmers of the decade (2010-2019).

Images for kids

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  Watch an official Olympics video of Belmonte winning the 200m butterfly gold medal.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJGs5UPFQvc

See also

In Spanish: Mireia Belmonte para niños

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of Spanish records in swimming
• List of European records in swimming
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• World record progression 200 metres butterfly
• World record progression 400 metres freestyle
• World record progression 400 metres individual medley
• World record progression 800 metres freestyle
• World record progression 1500 metres freestyle