Maria Mutola has been ranked as one of the greatest female 800 m runnersDate and Place of birth: She was born in Chamanculo, a poor town in the suburbs of the Mozambican capital, Maputo, on 27 October 1972.
Height: 162cm
Weight: 61kg
Mutola played football with men in the Chamanculo neighbourhood until Mozambican writer, Jose Craveirinha, noticed a possible athletics talent when she was 14.
Height: 162cm
Weight: 61kg
Mutola played football with men in the Chamanculo neighbourhood until Mozambican writer, Jose Craveirinha, noticed a possible athletics talent when she was 14.
She was appointed an honorary United Nations youth ambassador in 2003 at a ceremony in Maputo, in recognition of her outstanding athletic achievements.
Maria's Lurdes Mutola Foundation aims to bring more young Mozambicans to sport and to assist in helping them achieve their sporting and educational potential. Other initiatives that Mutola and her Foundation have been involved in include a Ministry of Health /UNICEF immunisation campaign against measles and polio and housing development intiatives in Maputo.
MARIA'S 800M AWARDS
- Olympic Games: 1988 first round; 1992 5th and 9th 1500 m; 1996 3rd; 2000 1st; 2004 4th
- World Championships: 1991 4th; 1993 1st; 1995 disqualified semi final; 1997 3rd; 1999 2nd; 2001 1st; 2003 1st
- World Indoor Championships: 1993 1st; 1995 1st; 1997 1st; 1999 2nd; 2001 1st; 2003 1st; 2004 1st; 2006 1st
- World Cup: 1992 1st and 3rd 4x400 m Relay; 1994 1st; 1998 1st; 2002 1st and 4th 4x400 m Relay
- All-Africa Games: 1991 1st; 1995 1st
- African Championships: 1988 2nd; 1990 1st and 1st 1500 m; 1993 1st; 1998 1st; 2002 1st
- Commonwealth Games: 1998 1st; 2002 1st; 2006 3rd
"It doesn't matter where you come from. If you come from a rich or poor area or family, you can always achieve your goals at school or in sports - if you focus enough and dedicate yourself"
-Maria Mutola
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