Mari Cruz DÃaz
Mari Cruz Diaz ( Catalan, Spanish María Cruz Díaz García, born October 24, 1969 in Barcelona ) is a former Spanish race walker.
At 13 she made her first in the Spanish national team, as it was used in the 1983 World Cup skiers. In 1985 she became European Junior champion in the 5000 meters.
1986 was the first time woman walking on the major international championships program. At the European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, the Swede Ann Jansson was a clear favorite for the 10 - kilometer distance. Ann Jansson won in 46:14 min silver behind Díaz in 46:09 min. Díaz broke with 16 years and 306 days, the Yugoslavian Vera Nikolić became the youngest European champion from.
A year later, at the 1987 World Championships in Rome, completed Díaz on her personal best with 44:48 min, but was only fourth in the race won by the Russian Irina Strachowa in 44:12 min. 1988 Díaz won bronze over 3000 meters at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Budapest. With 12:55,03 min she was around six seconds behind the winner, her compatriot Maria Reyes Sobrino. In the summer of 1988, Díaz was junior world champion in the 5000 meters.
After a 15th place finish at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo Díaz was in Barcelona in 1992 at the Olympic debut of women walking at the start. In her hometown, she was after 45:32 min Tenth with a minute behind the winner Chen Chinese Yueling.
After several years of break from competition, she qualified in 2003 for the 20 km walk at the World Championships in Paris / Saint- Denis, but was disqualified there.
Mari Cruz Diaz is 1,61 m tall and weighed 47 kg in their active time.
Bests
- 3000 m, walking (Hall ): 12:48,82 min, 1988
- 5000 m To: 21:36,92 min, 7th August 1987, Birmingham
- 10,000 m Walk: 44:41,71 min, August 2, 2003, Jerez de la Frontera
- 10 km Walk: 44:48 min, September 1, 1987, Rome
- 20 km Walking: 1:32:10 h, May 18, 2003 Cheboksary