Andrés Manuel Díaz
Encyclopedia
Andrés Manuel Díaz (born 12 July 1969 in La Coruña) is a former Spanish
middle-distance runner. He represented Spain at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000 and was the bronze medal
list over 1500 metres
at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
.
His personal best outdoors is 3:31.48 minutes, but it was indoors where he excelled – his time of 3:33.32 minutes is the current European indoor record.
and ran in the heats of the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
. He won the silver medal
at the 1995 Summer Universiade behind Hezekiél Sepeng
. His Olympic debut came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, although he was knocked out in the first round of the 800 m. He narrowly missed out on a medal at the 1996 European Athletics Indoor Championships, coming fourth.
Díaz changed his focus to the 1500 metres
from 1997 onwards and he knocked more than six seconds off his personal best that year, setting a time of 3:34.52 minutes. He reached the 1500 m final at the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships
and finished in fifth place. A consecutive fourth place finish at the 1998 European Athletics Indoor Championships saw him again outside of the medals on the major stage. He improved his time further to 3:32.17 minutes in July 1998 and came seventh at the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final
that year. A surprise European indoor record for the 1500 m came at a meeting in Piraeus
in February 1999 as he bettered Peter Elliott
's record by over second with a run of 3:33.32 minutes. He ran another fast time at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
the following month, just a little slower than Elliott's former record, but was beaten by Haile Gebrselassie
and Laban Rotich
, taking the bronze medal
for his first podium finish on the major stage. The 1999 World Championships in Athletics
in Seville
saw Díaz, alongside Reyes Estévez
and Fermín Cacho
, vying for the 1500 m medals on home turf. In the fastest race ever seen at the competition, Díaz ran a personal best of 3:31.83 minutes but he ended up behind his compatriots with a fifth place finish.
On his second outing on the Olympic stage he reached the 1500 m, taking seventh at the 2000 Sydney Games
. After this performance he ran the best 1500 m of his career at the Herculis
meet in Monaco
, completing the distance in a time of 3:31.48 minutes. From 2001 to 2003, he began to run in the 3000 metres
and he won a national title in and a silver medal at the 2001 European Cup. His last appearance on the world stage came at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
, but he did not manage to finish in his heat. He retired in 2003.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
middle-distance runner. He represented Spain at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000 and was the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
list over 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
.
His personal best outdoors is 3:31.48 minutes, but it was indoors where he excelled – his time of 3:33.32 minutes is the current European indoor record.
Career
His first international appearances came in 1995, when he reached the semi-finals of the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships1995 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:...
and ran in the heats of 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....
. He won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 1995 Summer Universiade behind Hezekiél Sepeng
Hezekiél Sepeng
Hezekiél Sello Sepeng , is a South African middle distance runner who came second in the Olympic 800 metres final in Atlanta 1996 , the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the World Championships' final in Seville 1999...
. His Olympic debut came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, although he was knocked out in the first round of the 800 m. He narrowly missed out on a medal at the 1996 European Athletics Indoor Championships, coming fourth.
Díaz changed his focus to the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
from 1997 onwards and he knocked more than six seconds off his personal best that year, setting a time of 3:34.52 minutes. He reached the 1500 m final at 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 finished in fifth place. A consecutive fourth place finish at the 1998 European Athletics Indoor Championships saw him again outside of the medals on the major stage. He improved his time further to 3:32.17 minutes in July 1998 and came seventh 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:*...
that year. A surprise European indoor record for the 1500 m came at a meeting in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
in February 1999 as he bettered Peter Elliott
Peter Elliott (athlete)
Peter Elliott is a former middle-distance runner from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 1988 Olympic Games, and the silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1987 World...
's record by over second with a run of 3:33.32 minutes. He ran another fast time at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
the following month, just a little slower than Elliott's former record, but was beaten by Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
and Laban Rotich
Laban Rotich
Laban Rotich is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. His personal best time is 3:29.91 minutes, achieved in August 1998 in Zürich. He holds the world's best indoor performance over one mile for men over 35 years with 3:53.18 minutes.-Achievements:-External links:*...
, taking the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
for his first podium finish on the major stage. The 1999 World Championships in Athletics
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....
in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
saw Díaz, alongside Reyes Estévez
Reyes Estévez
Reyes Estévez López is a Spanish 1500 metres runner. He won the European Championships' final 1998 in Budapest...
and Fermín Cacho
Fermín Cacho
Fermín Cacho Ruiz is a Spanish athlete, winner of the 1500 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Ágreda, Spain, Cacho had an enviable competitive record in the 1500 m, but it wasn't until late in his career that he produced a time of corresponding quality.Cacho's first notable result came in...
, vying for the 1500 m medals on home turf. In the fastest race ever seen at the competition, Díaz ran a personal best of 3:31.83 minutes but he ended up behind his compatriots with a fifth place finish.
On his second outing on the Olympic stage he reached the 1500 m, taking seventh at the 2000 Sydney Games
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...
. After this performance he ran the best 1500 m of his career at the Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
meet in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, completing the distance in a time of 3:31.48 minutes. From 2001 to 2003, he began to run in the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
and he won a national title in and a silver medal at the 2001 European Cup. His last appearance on the world stage came at 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...
, but he did not manage to finish in his heat. He retired in 2003.