Fernanda Ribeiro

Medal record
Fernanda Ribeiro
Women's athletics
Competitor for Portugal
Olympic Games
Gold	1996 Atlanta	10000 m
Bronze	2000 Sydney	10000 m
World Championships
Gold	1995 Gothenburg	10000 m
Silver	1995 Gothenburg	5000 m
Silver	1997 Athens	10000 m
Bronze	1997 Athens	5000 m

Maria Fernanda Moreira Ribeiro, GCIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɨɾˈnɐ̃dɐ ʁiˈbɐjɾu], born June 23, 1969), is a long-distance runner, born in Penafiel, Portugal. She achieved the top of her career in the 1996 Summer Olympics where she won the women's 10,000 m gold medal, giving Portugal their 3rd Olympic gold (all in the long distance), and establishing a new Olympic record - 31:01.63.

Biography

Fernanda made her first steps into athletics at Grupo Desportivo do Kolossal, before joining FC Porto, which she represented in 1982-1992. After a 2-year passage through Maratona Clube da Maia, Fernanda returned to FC Porto where she competed until recently. Along with her sporting career, she works at her town hall as a sports advisor to the mayor.

She is the most medalled Portuguese athlete ever, having participated in five Olympics (Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004) and many more European and World Championships.

In the 2004 Olympics, Fernanda ran the final but eventually gave up during the race due to physical problems.

She won the silver medal at the half-marathon race, during the 1st Lusophony Games - Macau 2006, in Macao, China. She was the Portuguese flag-bearer at the Games opening ceremony, on October 7.

Ribeiro continued road running in her later years and took third place at the 2010 Lisbon Half Marathon at the age of 40. She helped the Portuguese women's team win the title at the European Cup 10000m in June, rounding out the country's top runners with a seventh place finish.

Atlanta 1996

August 2 - it was one of the most exciting finals ever in the Olympic women's 10,000 m. At the beginning of the last lap, Fernanda was 20 metres behind the Chinese athlete Wang Junxia, world record holder and recently 5000 m Olympic champion.

But the last 200 metres were something to hold one's breath, as in a last-chance sprint, Fernanda passed dangerously her opponent from her left leaving Wang without reaction and with a 2nd place-confirmation.

At the end of her race, Fernanda said "I had promised to fight until my very limits, I only missed finishing on my knees. From the 3rd kilometer I started feeling pain on the Achilles' tendon, managed to withstand, suffered, but I, for the dream of becoming Olympic champion, was ready to run until... death knocked me over! I just got a bit scared when I saw Wang, the turtle-blood Chinese, isolating 400m to the finish line. But that instant I wasn't defeated yet... it was when I remembered my promise to go to Fatima on foot."

In November, she pilgrimed to Fátima as promised to thank Our Lady of Fátima for her incredible victory.

Achievements

Olympic Games

1st 10,000 m, 1996 Atlanta, USA

3rd 10,000 m, 2000 Sydney, AUS

World Championships

2nd 3000 m, 1988 Sudbury, UK (junior)

10th 10.000 m, 1993 Stuttgart, GER

1st 10,000 m, 1995 Gotenburg, SWE

2nd 5000 m, 1995 Gotenburg, SWE

2nd 10000 m, 1997 Athens, GRE

3rd 5000 m, 1997 Athens, GRE

3rd 3000 m, 1997 Paris, FRA (indoor)

World Cup

2nd 10,000 m, 1994 London, UK

European Championships

1st 3000 m, 1988 Birmingham, UK (junior)

1st 10,000 m, 1994 Helsinki, FIN

1st 3000 m, 1994 Paris, FRA (indoor)

1st 3000 m, 1996 Stockholm, SWE (indoor)

2nd 10,000 m, 1998 Budapest, HUN

2nd 3000 m, 1998 Valencia, SPA (indoor)

Personal bests

• 2000 m - 5:37.88 (Lisbon, 1996)
• 2000 m - 5:37.34 (Valencia, 1996 - indoor)
• 3000 m - 8:39.49 (Stockholm, 1996 - indoor)
• 5000 m - 14:36.45 (Hechtel, 1995)
• 5000 m - 15:06.52 (Moscow, 1996 - indoor)
• 10,000 m - 30:22.88 (Sydney, 2000)
• 10,000 m - 31:01.63 (Atlanta, 1996 - Olympic)

External links

• http://www.atletas.net
• http://atletismo.no.sapo.pt/fernanda.htm

Awards
Preceded by Albertina Dias	Olympic Medal Nobre Guedes 1994	Succeeded by Manuela Machado João Rodrigues
Sporting positions
Preceded by Yelena Romanova	Women's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 1995–1996	Succeeded by Jiang Bo