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, Province of Barcelona, 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

Olympics official video: Belmonte Olympic champion in 200 m butterfly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJGs5UPFQvc

Mireia Belmonte García (born November 10, 1990) is an amazing Spanish swimmer. She has won many gold medals at the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships.

Mireia used to hold several world records in short course swimming. These include the 200-meter butterfly, 400-meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle, and 1500-meter freestyle. She was the first Spanish woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. Many people think she is the best Spanish swimmer ever!

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, she became an Olympic champion. She won gold in the 200-meter butterfly race. She also earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter individual medley. Mireia first competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she was just 17. At the 2012 London Olympics, she won two silver medals. One was in the 200-meter butterfly and the other in the 800-meter freestyle.

Mireia's Early Life and Training

Mireia Belmonte was born in Badalona, Spain. Her parents, José Belmonte and Paqui García, moved to Catalonia. The family has always lived in the La Salud area of Badalona.

When she was 5 years old, her doctor suggested she start swimming. Mireia began her swimming journey at the Club Natació Badalona. In 2003, she received a special scholarship. This allowed her to train at the High Performance Center (CAR) in San Cugat del Vallés.

Her first coach there was Jordi Murio. Later, she joined Club Natación Sabadell in 2007. She continued her training at the CAR with a new coach, Carles Subirana. In 2009, she moved to train full-time at Club Natación Sabadell. There, she worked with coaches Michael Piper and Fred Vernoux.

Mireia's Swimming Career Highlights

Youth Championships Success

In 2006, Mireia showed her talent at the 2006 FINA Youth World Swimming Championships. She became the Junior World Champion in the 400-meter freestyle. She also won the 400-meter individual medley. That same year, she was the Junior European Champion in the 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley.

First European Medals

The next year, in 2007, Mireia won a silver medal. This was at the 2007 European Short Course Swimming Championships. She placed second in the 400-meter individual medley. This achievement also helped her qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In March 2008, at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Mireia won gold. She broke a championship record in the 200-meter individual medley. Later that year, in December, she set a new world record in the 400-meter individual medley. This happened at the 2008 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Rijeka, Croatia. Her time of 4:25:06 was faster than the previous record.

Olympic Debut in Beijing (2008)

Mireia competed in her first Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in August 2008. She was only 17 years old. She swam in three individual events and one relay for Spain.

In the 200-meter individual medley, she reached the semifinals. She finished 14th overall. In the 400-meter individual medley, she placed 14th in the first heats. The Spanish relay team finished 15th and did not make it to the final.

World Championship Wins (2010)

After a challenging year, Mireia returned stronger in 2010. At the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships, she had an amazing performance. She won three gold medals:

• 200-meter butterfly
• 200-meter individual medley
• 400-meter individual medley

She also won a silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle.

London Olympic Success (2012)

In August 2012, Mireia won two silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Her first medal was in the 200-meter butterfly. This was her first Olympic medal. It was also the first swimming medal won by a Spanish-born woman at the Olympics. Plus, it was Spain's first medal in any sport at the 2012 Games!

Her second silver medal came in the 800-meter freestyle. She finished behind 15-year-old Katie Ledecky. Mireia became the first Spanish swimmer to win two Olympic medals. She also competed in four other events, showing her versatility.

World Championships and World Records (2013)

After a short break, Mireia joined the UCAM Club Natación Fuensanta team. This allowed her to study Business Management while training.

At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Mireia competed in six events. She won a bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley. She then earned a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly. On the last day, she won another silver in the 400-meter individual medley.

In August 2013, at the 2013 FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin, Germany, Mireia set two new short course world records:

• On August 10, she broke the 800-meter freestyle world record. She was the first woman to swim it under 8 minutes (7:59.34).
• The next day, she broke the 400-meter freestyle world record with a time of 3:54.52.

In December 2013, at the Spanish Championships, she set another world record in the short course 1500-meter freestyle (15:26.95). At the 2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Denmark, she won gold in the 200-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle.

More World Records (2014)

Mireia continued her incredible form at the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar, in December 2014. She won two gold medals and set two new world records on the same day!

• She became the first woman to swim the 200-meter butterfly under 2 minutes (1:59.61).
• About 45 minutes later, she set a new world record in the 400-meter individual medley (4:19.86).

The next day, she won her third gold in the 800-meter freestyle, setting a new Championship Record. On the following day, she won her fourth gold in the 400-meter freestyle, also a new Championship Record.

In December 2014, at the Spanish Championships, Mireia broke the 1500-meter freestyle world record again. Her new time was 15:19.71, improving the record by over seven seconds.

Injury and Comeback (2015-2016)

Mireia had to miss the 2015 World Aquatics Championships due to a shoulder injury. Her main goal was to get ready for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mireia won a bronze medal. This was in the 400-meter individual medley. It was Spain's first medal at those Olympics.

She then achieved a historic victory for Spain. On August 10, she won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. She was just 0.03 seconds ahead of the silver medalist! This made her the first Spanish female swimmer to become an Olympic champion. It was also the first swimming gold for Spain at the Olympics since 1992.

Mireia's two medals in Rio, added to her two from London, gave her four Olympic medals in total. She became only the fourth Spaniard to achieve this.

World Champion Again (2017)

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Mireia won three individual medals. She earned a silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle. Her time was a new Spanish record.

She then won a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. This was the same event she won gold in at the Rio Olympics. Mireia was very excited, saying this gold medal was the only one missing from her collection. She also won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley.

In August 2017, at the 2017 FINA Swimming World Cup in the Netherlands, Mireia broke another world record. This was in the short course 400-meter individual medley (4:18.94).

Mediterranean Games (2018)

In June 2018, Mireia competed at the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain. She won four medals for Spain:

• Gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly
• Gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley
• Silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle
• Silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle

Tokyo Olympics (2020/2021)

Mireia qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic). She qualified for the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. In May 2021, she was chosen as one of Spain's flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Mireia reached the final of the 400-meter individual medley. She finished in fourth place. She also competed in the 1500-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle, but did not make the finals. She also swam the butterfly part of the 4x100-meter medley relay.

Recent Competitions (2022)

In August 2022, Mireia was part of the Spanish team for the 2022 European Aquatics Championships. She competed in several events, including the 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter butterfly, and 400-meter freestyle.

Later in 2022, at the 2022 FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin, Germany, she placed fifth in the 400-meter individual medley. She also competed in other events like the 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, and 100-meter butterfly.

Awards and Special Mentions

• In 2013, Mireia received the Premio Reina Sofía award. This award is given to the Best Spanish Sportswoman each year.
• In 2017, the newspaper Diario AS named her the "Best Spanish Sportswoman in History." This was to celebrate the newspaper's 50th anniversary.
• In 2020, SwimSwam, a swimming news website, ranked Mireia as #11 among the Top 20 Swimmers in the world for the decade from 2010 to 2019.
• For the year 2021, SwimSwam ranked her #73 on their list of the Top 100 female swimmers.

Images for kids

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  Mireia Belmonte in 2018

See also

• 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