Woman, rebel and golden: this was the life of the first woman to win first place in the Olympics Soraya Jiménez

Her effort and dedication made her an immortal of Mexican sport. (Special)

Soraya Jiménez was an outstanding Mexican athlete who managed to thrill sports fans (and beyond) throughout her career as a weightlifter. She represented the entrance to a new century as a strong woman who fought against gender stereotypes. Against all odds, she became the first person from our country to win a gold medal in the history of the Olympic Games.

Among her most important achievements are medals and championships, but, looking ahead to Paris 2024, Soraya Jiménez not only personified one more athlete, but over the years she became a great inspiration for the country’s girls who, upon learning her story, have chosen to have sport as a way of life, remembering that the Mexican set a precedent so that they can now enjoy high performance.

The weightlifter is considered one of the greatest figures in Mexico and every four years she implicitly becomes one of the greatest inspirations for all athletes who dream of hearing the Mexican anthem at an Olympic event.

Soraya Jiménez contributed to the improvement of sports in her hometown of Naucalpan, State of Mexico. (Photo: Cuartoscuro)

• Olympic Gold Medal: Soraya Jiménez won the gold medal in the 58 kg category at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. This achievement made her the first Mexican woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
• Pan American Champion: Jiménez also won the Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999.
• National and International Records: During his career, he set several records both nationally and internationally in his weight class.
• Participation in World Championships: He competed in various world weightlifting championships, where he obtained good results and raised the profile of Mexican weightlifting on the international level.
• Distinctions and Recognitions: Throughout his career, he received multiple awards and recognitions for his contribution to Mexican sport, including several mentions on the lists of the best athletes in the country and the National Sports Award.

Soraya Jiménez left an important legacy for women’s sport in Mexico and became a role model for future generations of athletes. Her perseverance and success in a highly competitive discipline made her an icon of sport in the country.

The exact moment when Soraya Jiménez shook all of Mexico will be remembered in the history of national sport. (Twitter@CONADE)

Outside of sports, the athlete born on August 5, 1977 in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, and deceased on March 28, 2013, in Mexico City also had significant moments on a personal level, although she was marked by various personal and health challenges. She studied Communication Sciences at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) in Mexico. Although her dedication to sports was her priority, she knew how to balance her academic training with her training and competitions.

After retiring from professional sport, Soraya faced multiple health problems resulting from her sports career. Among the most serious, she suffered from infections, respiratory problems and several surgeries, including an operation on her right leg that resulted in the partial amputation of it.

After finishing her career as an athlete, Soraya ventured into the field of communication. She participated in sports programs as a commentator and analyst, sharing her knowledge and experience in weightlifting and sports in general.

Thanks to her training as a communications expert, the Olympic champion has had several spaces on television to share her knowledge about her sport. (Special)

The athlete also became an example of perseverance. Soraya was a woman who sought to break gender stigmas because on several occasions she was assured that weightlifting was a discipline for men, but she managed to prove otherwise.

Jiménez also dedicated herself to promoting sport, especially among women. She participated in various campaigns and events aimed at promoting physical activity and sport among the new generations, putting aside criticism about her appearance and becoming a real and courageous role model for the career she managed to build.

On March 28, 2013, Jiménez died at the age of 35 in his apartment located in Mexico City, due to an acute myocardial infarction, however his name will forever remain carved in gold in the minds of Mexicans and his history in sports.