Manuel Olmedo
Encyclopedia
Manuel Olmedo Villar (born 17 May 1983) is a Spanish
middle-distance runner. He specialises in the 800 metres
. He represented Spain at the Olympic Games
at both the 2004 Athens Games
and 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also ran at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
Olmedo has won medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships
. His personal best in the 800 m is 1:45.13.
, Olmedo started his career with performances at junior level, competing at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
. He was knocked out at the heats stage of the 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
but he reached the final at the 2002 World Junior Championships
, taking eighth place in 1:56.73.
The 2003 season marked a breakthrough for Olmedo as he took fifth in the European Athletics Indoor Cup
and won the 800 m bronze medal
at the 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships
. He was the runner-up in the Spanish national championships that year behind Antonio Manuel Reina
, gaining himself qualification into the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
. At his first World Championships he was fourth in his heat, running 1:47.98, but this was not enough to qualify. Olmedo reached the Olympic stage the following year but again finished fourth in his heat, being knocked out of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In his last appearance in non-senior competition, he won the silver medal
at the 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships
. He reached the 800 m semi-finals at the 2006 European Athletics Championships, but was eliminated after he finished in fourth place. He did not get past the heat stages at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but managed to reach the semi-finals at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
in Osaka
, Japan, but his near-personal best time of 1:45.61 was only enough for fifth. After recording a personal best of 1:45.13 at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
, he was invited to the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
and finished in sixth place. He reached the semi-finals twice at the global level in 2008 – finish fifth in his semi-final at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, and just missing out on the 800 m Olympic final at the 2008 Beijing Games (having run 1:45.91 for fourth).
He had his best performance at senior level at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, where he reached the final and finished in fifth place. He failed to match this performance at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, however, as he did not manage to finish his heat.
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 specialises in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
. He represented Spain at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
at both the 2004 Athens Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also ran at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
Olmedo has won medals at the European Athletics U23 Championships
European Athletics U23 Championships
The European Athletics U23 Championships is a biennial athletics competition for European athletes under the age of 23, which is organized by the European Athletic Association...
. His personal best in the 800 m is 1:45.13.
Career
Born in SevilleSeville
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...
, Olmedo started his career with performances at junior level, competing at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
. He was knocked out at the heats stage of the 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 27th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held from Friday, 1 March to Sunday, 3 March 2002 in Vienna, the capital city of Austria.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:-Participating nations:...
but he reached the final at the 2002 World Junior Championships
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, taking eighth place in 1:56.73.
The 2003 season marked a breakthrough for Olmedo as he took fifth in the European Athletics Indoor Cup
European Athletics Indoor Cup
The European Athletics Indoor Cup was a biennial athletics sporting event that first took place in 2003 in Leipzig, Germany, where it was also organized the following year. The 3rd edition was held in 2006, in order to be held every two years to alternate with the European Indoor Championships in...
and won the 800 m 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...
at the 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships
2003 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 17–20 July 2003.- Men's :-Women's:-Medals table:-References:* . GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.*...
. He was the runner-up in the Spanish national championships that year behind Antonio Manuel Reina
Antonio Manuel Reina
Antonio Manuel Reina Ballesteros is a Spanish middle distance runner. He specializes in the 800 metres.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*400 metres - 45.98 s *800 metres - 1:43.83 min...
, gaining himself qualification into the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
. At his first World Championships he was fourth in his heat, running 1:47.98, but this was not enough to qualify. Olmedo reached the Olympic stage the following year but again finished fourth in his heat, being knocked out of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In his last appearance in non-senior competition, 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 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships
2005 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships is the 2005 version of the European Athletics U23 Championships. It was held in Erfurt.-Men's Results:-Women's:-Medals table:-Notes and references:* *...
. He reached the 800 m semi-finals at the 2006 European Athletics Championships, but was eliminated after he finished in fourth place. He did not get past the heat stages at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but managed to reach the semi-finals at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, but his near-personal best time of 1:45.61 was only enough for fifth. After recording a personal best of 1:45.13 at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge....
, he was invited to the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
and finished in sixth place. He reached the semi-finals twice at the global level in 2008 – finish fifth in his semi-final at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
, and just missing out on the 800 m Olympic final at the 2008 Beijing Games (having run 1:45.91 for fourth).
He had his best performance at senior level at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, where he reached the final and finished in fifth place. He failed to match this performance at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, however, as he did not manage to finish his heat.
Competition record
| 2000 | World Junior Championships 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:... |
Santiago, Chile Santiago, Chile Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level... |
5th (heats) | |
| 2002 | European Indoor Championships 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships The 27th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held from Friday, 1 March to Sunday, 3 March 2002 in Vienna, the capital city of Austria.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:-Participating nations:... |
Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria |
4th (heats) | |
| World Junior Championships 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:... |
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... |
8th | ||
| 2003 | European Indoor Cup 2003 European Athletics Indoor Cup The 2003 European Athletics Indoor Cup was held on 15 February 2003 at the Arena Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany. It was the inaugural edition of the indoor track and field meeting for international teams, which featured the eight top performing nations from the 2002 European Cup... |
Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... , Germany |
5th | |
| European U23 Championships 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships The 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 17–20 July 2003.- Men's :-Women's:-Medals table:-References:* . GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.*... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland | 3rd | ||
| World Championships 2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:... |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
4th (heats) | 800 m | |
| 2004 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
4th (heats) | 800 m |
| 2005 | European U23 Championships 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships The 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships is the 2005 version of the European Athletics U23 Championships. It was held in Erfurt.-Men's Results:-Women's:-Medals table:-Notes and references:* *... |
Erfurt Erfurt Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian... , Germany |
2nd | |
| 2006 | European Championships | 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... , Sweden |
4th (semis) | |
| 2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
3rd (heats) | |
| World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
5th (semis) | 800 m 2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres The men's 800 metres at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Nagai Stadium on 30, 31 August and 2 September.-Medalists:-Records:Prior to the competition, the following records were as follows.-Schedule:-Results:-Heats:... |
|
| IAAF World Athletics Final 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
6th | ||
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:... |
Valencia, Spain | 5th (semis) | 800 m |
| Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
4th (semis) | 800 m | |
| 2009 | European Indoor Championships | Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy |
5th | 800 m 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres The Men's 800 metres event at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on March 6–8.- Medalists :- Heats :First 2 of each heat and the next 4 fastest qualified for the semifinals.- Semifinals :... |
| World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
DNF | 800 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres The men's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 20, 21 and 23 August.-Medalists:-Records:Prior to the competition, the following records were as follows.-Qualification standards:-Schedule:... |
|
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain |
3rd | 1500 m 2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 1500 metres The men's 1500 metres at the 2010 European Athletics Championships will be held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 27, 28 and 30 July.-Medalists:-Records:-Schedule:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Summary:-Final:-References:* *... |
| 2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
1st | 1500 m 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 1500 metres The Men's 1500 metres event at the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held at March 5–6 with the final being held on March 6 at 16:20 local time. -Records:-Heats:First 2 in each heat and 3 best performers advance to the Final.- Final :... |
| European Team Championships 2011 European Team Championships The third SPAR European Team Championships took place on 18 and 19 June 2011. The Super League was won by the Russian team with the record 385 points.-Calendar:-Super League:*Place: Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden... |
Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... , Sweden |
1st | 1500 m 2011 European Team Championships Super League – Results These are the complete results of the 2011 European Team Championships Super League on 18 and 19 June 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden. As with the previous championships there were a couple of rules applying specifically to this competition, such as the limit of three attempts in the throwing events,... |
External links
- Sports-reference profile
- Interview from European Athletics