Niurka Montalvo
Encyclopedia
Niurka Montalvo Amaro (born June 4, 1968 in Havana
) is a former Cuban and Spanish athlete who specialised in the long jump
and triple jump
events. Her greatest achievement came in 1999
, when she became world champion with a personal best jump of 7.06 metres. She is now the autonomous secretary of sport for the Autonomous government of Valencia
.
she won the long jump gold at the 1987
edition, and another gold came at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games
.
Her first appearance at global level came at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, where she finished fifth in the long jump. She demonstrated further skills when she scored a double gold in the long jump and triple jump events at both the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
and the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
. That year she went on to become the Summer Universiade champion in the triple jump and just missed out on the medals with a fourth place finish at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
. She represented America at the 1994 IAAF World Cup
and won the long jump silver behind Inessa Kravets
with a best mark of 6.70 m.
The 1995 season was a breakthrough for Montalvo as she won triple jump silver and long jump at the 1995 Pan American Games
before going on to win her first world medal – a jump of 6.86 m brought her a silver medal behind Fiona May
in the long jump final at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
. She had mixed fortunes in triple jump that year, finishing sixth at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, but fifteenth in the qualifiers of the outdoor championships.
The few years following her world silver she focused solely on the long jump, but to limited success: she failed to make it out of the qualifying round at either the 1996 Summer Olympics or the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships
and a fifth place at the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final
was a modest highlight to a year.
. The Cuba
n Athletics Federation blocked her participation in the 2000 Summer Olympics
, and in addition, she was reportedly included on a list of possible assassination targets for ETA
.
Montalvo refused to let this disrupt her athletics career and she won a series of bronze medals after this, starting with the 2000 IAAF Grand Prix Final
and then at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
and the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
. More medals came at regional competitions, with a gold at the 2004 Ibero-American Championships and a silver behind her 1995 World Championships adversary, Fiona May, at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
.
She finished seventh in the long jump final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg
at the age of 38.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
) is a former Cuban and Spanish athlete who specialised in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
events. Her greatest achievement came in 1999
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
, when she became world champion with a personal best jump of 7.06 metres. She is now the autonomous secretary of sport for the Autonomous government of Valencia
Generalitat Valenciana
The Generalitat Valenciana is the generic name covering the different self government institutions under which the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia is politically organised....
.
Early life
She began her international career with a medal at the 1986 Pan American Junior Championships, taking the bronze in the long jump. Senior medals soon followed: at the Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsCentral American and Caribbean Championships
The Central American and Caribbean Championships is an international track and field athletics event organised by the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation . Only athletes representing a member nation of the confederation may compete. Created in 1967, the event has been held every...
she won the long jump gold at the 1987
1987 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 1987 Central American Championships in Athletics were held in Caracas, Venezuela.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
edition, and another gold came at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games
1990 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 16th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Mexico City the capital of Mexico from November 20 to December 3, 1990 and included a total of 4.206 competitors from 29 nations, the largest the games had ever seen.-Sports:* Racquetball...
.
Her first appearance at global level came at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 3rd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Seville, Spain from March 8 to March 10, 1991. It was the first Indoor Championships to include women's triple jump, albeit as a non-championship event...
, where she finished fifth in the long jump. She demonstrated further skills when she scored a double gold in the long jump and triple jump events at both the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
1993 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
and the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 17th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. The Games were held from November 19 to November 30, 1993 and included 3,570 athletes from 32 nations.-Organization and Planning:...
. That year she went on to become the Summer Universiade champion in the triple jump and just missed out on the medals with a fourth place finish at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
. She represented America at the 1994 IAAF World Cup
1994 IAAF World Cup
The 7th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on September 9–11, 1994, at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.-Men:...
and won the long jump silver behind Inessa Kravets
Inessa Kravets
Inessa Mykolajivna Kravets is an Ukrainian triple jumper and long jumper.She jumped the world record at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg with 15.50m after studying a picture of Jonathan Edwards....
with a best mark of 6.70 m.
The 1995 season was a breakthrough for Montalvo as she won triple jump silver and long jump at the 1995 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 1995 Pan American Games
The Athletics Competition at the 1995 Pan American Games was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
before going on to win her first world medal – a jump of 6.86 m brought her a silver medal behind Fiona May
Fiona May
Fiona May was an athlete who competed for the Great Britain and later Italy in the long jump. She won the World Championships twice and two Olympic silver medals...
in the long jump final at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
. She had mixed fortunes in triple jump that year, finishing sixth at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 5th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain from 10 March to 12 March 1995. There were a total number of 602 participating athletes from 130 countries.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
, but fifteenth in the qualifiers of the outdoor championships.
The few years following her world silver she focused solely on the long jump, but to limited success: she failed to make it out of the qualifying round at either the 1996 Summer Olympics or the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 6th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France from March 7 to March 9, 1997. It was the first athletic championships to introduce women's pole vault...
and a fifth place at the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final
1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final
The 14th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1998.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
was a modest highlight to a year.
Transfer to Spain
In 1999 she acquired Spanish citizenship by marriage, something which stirred a great amount of controversy. The move brought renewed efforts on the world stage as she became the world champion in the long jump with a gold medal at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
. The Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Athletics Federation blocked her participation in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and in addition, she was reportedly included on a list of possible assassination targets for ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
.
Montalvo refused to let this disrupt her athletics career and she won a series of bronze medals after this, starting with the 2000 IAAF Grand Prix Final
2000 IAAF Grand Prix Final
The 16th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on October 5, 2000.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
and then at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 8th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal from March 9 to March 11 2001. It was the first time the Championships had been held in Portugal...
and the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
. More medals came at regional competitions, with a gold at the 2004 Ibero-American Championships and a silver behind her 1995 World Championships adversary, Fiona May, at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
Athletics at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
The Athletics competition at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was held in the Mediterraneo Stadium in Almería, Spain from 29 June to 2 July 2005.-Men's:-Women's:-Medal table:-References:**...
.
She finished seventh in the long jump final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
at the age of 38.
Personal bests
- 100 metres hurdles100 metres hurdlesThe 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner...
- 13.57 (1990) - Long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
- 7.06 (1999) - Triple jumpTriple jumpThe triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
- 14.60 (1994)