María Reyes Sobrino

Reyes was born in Viladecans, near Barcelona.[1] Her father was a founding member of the local athletics club – Club Atletismo Viladecans – and this was where she picked up the sport. She began her international career in 1985, making her global debut at the 1985 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, then winning the gold medal at the 1985 European Athletics Junior Championships.[2] Her best finish at a major outdoor tournament followed at the 1986 European Athletics Championships, where she was fifth,[3] and her first senior medal came a year later at the 1987 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, sharing in the women's team silver alongside Teresa Palacio, Mari Cruz Díaz and Emilia Cano.[4] She placed ninth at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics, which was the first ever women's world championship race walk.

Reyes enjoyed her best year in 1988, in which she became continental champion at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a 3000 m walk win in a championship record time of 12:48.99 minutes. She claimed a 10,000 m walk bronze at the 1988 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics outdoors. She would go on to win a further European indoor bronze medal in 1989 and took the Ibero-American title in 1990.[5][6] She walked at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics and made three further appearances at the World Race Walking Cup but was largely out of contention, though she did place seventh at the 1990 European Athletics Championships.[1]

She was a dominant figure nationally during her period, winning a total of 13 Spanish titles in her career – ahead of her contemporaries Palacio, Cruz Díaz and Cano. She was the inaugural winner of the 3000 m indoor title in 1984 and set a championship record of 12:42.29 minutes in 1989.[7] She won five straight titles at the Spanish Athletics Championships from 1987 to 1991 in the 5000 m and 10,000 m distances, with her best of 22:09.21 minutes in the former distance being a championship record. At the national road walking championships, she won five titles between 1985 and 1993.[8] She was a Spanish record holder in 3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, 5 km and 10 km events during her career.[1]

On the professional circuit she was the 1984 winner at the Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni and set a meeting record at the 1990 Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona.[9][10] She took up coaching following her retirement and among those she trained was Beatriz Pascual, a fellow Viladecans native.[11]

• Spanish Athletics Championships
  • 5000 m walk: 1987, 1988, 1989
  • 10,000 m walk: 1990, 1991
  • 10 km walk: 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993[8]
• Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships
  • 3000 m walk: 1984, 1986, 1989[7]

• 3000 metres race walk – 12:27.82 min (1989)
• 5000 metres race walk – 21:57.86 min (1990)
• 5 kilometres race walk – 21:25 min (1987)
• 10,000 metres race walk – 46:04.05 min (1989)
• 10 kilometres race walk – 44:16 min (1990)

All information from All Athletics[12]

• List of European Athletics Indoor Championships medalists (women)

• María Reyes Sobrino at World Athletics