Rosa Mota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rosa Mota

Rosa Mota in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota
Born	(1958-06-29) 29 June 1958 (age 67) Porto, Portugal
Height	5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m)
Weight	99 pounds (45 kg)
Sport
Sport	Track and field athletics
Event(s)	Marathon
Retired	1992
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	1988 – Gold
Medal record Women's Athletics Representing  Portugal Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Marathon Bronze 1984 Los Angeles Marathon World Championships Gold 1987 Rome Marathon European Championships Gold 1982 Athens Marathon Gold 1986 Stuttgart Marathon Gold 1990 Split Marathon

Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota (born 29 June 1958) is a famous former marathon runner from Portugal. She is known as one of her country's best athletes. Rosa Mota was the first sportswoman from Portugal to win an Olympic gold medal.

She was also the first woman to win more than one Olympic marathon medal. At one point, she held the titles of European, World, and Olympic champion all at the same time. This was a unique achievement! The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) even named her the greatest female marathon runner of all time.

Rosa Mota's Running Journey

Rosa Mota was born in Porto, Portugal. When she was in high school, she started running in cross-country races. This was the beginning of her amazing career.

In 1980, she met José Pedrosa. He became her personal coach and guided her throughout her entire running career.

First Marathon Win

Rosa Mota ran her first marathon at the 1982 European Championships. This event took place in Athens, Greece. It was a very special race because it was the first-ever Women's Marathon at these championships.

Many people did not expect Rosa Mota to win the gold. However, she surprised everyone by easily beating Ingrid Kristiansen. This victory marked her first marathon win and showed her great talent.

Olympic Success

Rosa Mota often did very well in big marathons. She won a bronze medal in the first Women's Olympic Marathon. This happened at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.

Her fastest marathon time was 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 29 seconds. She achieved this at the 1985 Chicago Marathon. Rosa Mota actually won the Chicago Marathon twice in her career.

Winning European and World Titles

Rosa Mota continued her winning streak. She became the European Champion in 1986. Then, she won the World Champion title in Rome in 1987.

Her biggest win came at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. With only 2 kilometers left in the race, she made a strong move. She pulled ahead and won the gold medal by 13 seconds. Lisa Martin from Australia won the silver medal.

More Victories and Challenges

In 1990, Rosa Mota returned to the Boston Marathon. She won it for the third time, beating Uta Pippig. After that, she wanted to win her third European Marathon Championship in Split.

She led the race from the start. At the halfway point, she had a lead of over 1.5 minutes. But Valentina Yegorova caught up to her at the 35-kilometer mark. They both fought hard to the finish line. Rosa Mota won by a very small margin of five seconds. Winning three European Championships marathons was a first for both men and women. She also won the 1991 Lisbon Half Marathon.

Even with all her success, Rosa Mota faced health challenges. As a child, she suffered from sciatica (nerve pain) and asthma. Despite this, she kept winning. In 1991, she won the London Marathon.

Later that year, she had to stop during the Tokyo World Championships. After failing to finish the 1992 London Marathon, she decided to retire from running.

Rosa Mota ran 21 marathon races between 1982 and 1992. She ran about two marathons each year for ten years. She won 14 of those races, showing her incredible skill and determination.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Portugal
1982	European Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	Marathon	2:36:04
1983	Rotterdam Marathon	Rotterdam, the Netherlands	1st	Marathon	2:32:27
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	4th	Marathon	2:31:50
	Chicago Marathon	Chicago, United States	1st	Marathon	2:31:12
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	3rd	Marathon	2:26:57
	Chicago Marathon	Chicago, United States	1st	Marathon	2:26:01
1985	Chicago Marathon	Chicago, United States	3rd	Marathon	2:23:29
1986	Tokyo Marathon	Tokyo, Japan	1st	Marathon	2:27:15
	European Championships	Stuttgart, West Germany	1st	Marathon	2:28:38
1987	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:25:21
	World Championships	Rome, Italy	1st	Marathon	2:25:17
1988	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:24:30
	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	1st	Marathon	2:25:40
1989	Osaka Marathon	Osaka, Japan	--	Marathon	DNF
	Los Angeles Marathon	Los Angeles, United States	2nd	Marathon	2:35:27
1990	Osaka Marathon	Osaka, Japan	1st	Marathon	2:27:47
	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:25:24
	European Championships	Split, Yugoslavia	1st	Marathon	2:31:27
1991	London Marathon	London, United Kingdom	1st	Marathon	2:26:14
	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	--	Marathon	DNF
	Lisbon Half Marathon	Lisbon, Portugal	1st	Half marathon	1:09:52
1992	London Marathon	London, United Kingdom	--	Marathon	DNF

After Her Running Career

Mota carrying the IAAF flag at the World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka

After retiring from running, Rosa Mota became an "Ambassador of Sport." This means she helps promote sports and healthy living. In 1998, she received the Abebe Bikila Award. This award honors people who help develop long-distance running.

Rosa Mota was one of the most popular sports figures in Portugal in the late 20th century. She was admired alongside other famous athletes like Eusébio, Carlos Lopes, and Luís Figo.

In 2004, Rosa Mota had the honor of carrying the Olympic flame. She carried it through the streets of Athens before the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. This showed her lasting importance in the world of sports.

See also

In Spanish: Rosa Mota para niños