Raúl González (athlete)

For other people named Raúl González, see Raúl González (disambiguation).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is González and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
Raúl González
Personal information
Born February 29, 1952
Rancho Las Lajas, China, Nuevo León, Mexico
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Sport Race walking

Raúl González Rodríguez (born February 29, 1952) is a retired Mexican race walker. He set the world record in the 50-kilometer racewalk twice in 1978 (3:45:52 and 3:41:20). As of October 2011, it still was the North American record.

Gonzalez won the 50 km racewalk at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in 1977, 1981 and 1983. He also won a silver medal in 20 km and a gold in 50 km at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Gonzalez set an Olympic record winning the 50-kilometer event at 3 hours, 47 minutes, 26 seconds.[1][2]

Gonzalez was a member of the national racewalk team that received Mexico's National Sports Prize in 1977; he received the prize individually in 1978.[3] From 1988 to 1994 he was Director of National Sports Commission of Mexico, and from 2002 to 2004 executive president of the Mexican Professional Baseball League.[4]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Mexico
1971 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics Kingston, Jamaica 3rd 10 km
1974 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1st 20 km
1977 World Race Walking Cup Milton Keynes, England 1st 50 km
1978 Central American and Caribbean Games Medellín, Colombia 2nd 20 km
Mexico City, Mexico World record 50 km
Poděbrady, Czechoslovakia World record 50 km
1979 Pan American Games San Juan, Puerto Rico 1st 50 km
1980 Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 6th 20 km
DNF 50 km
1981 World Race Walking Cup Valencia, Spain 1st 50 km
Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2nd 20 km
1982 Central American and Caribbean Games Havana, Cuba 2nd 20 km
1st 50 km
1983 World Race Walking Cup Bergen, Norway 1st 50 km
Pan American Games Caracas, Venezuela 2nd 20 km
1st 50 km
World Championships in Athletics Helsinki, Finland 9th 20 km
5th 50 km
1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 2nd 20 km
1st 50 km
1987 Pan American Games Indianapolis, United States 2nd 50 km
World Championships in Athletics Rome, Italy 11th 50 km

References

  1. ↑ Raúl González. sports-reference
  2. ↑ HISTORY OF RACE WALKING IN THE OLYMPICS. Eracewalk.com. Retrieved on 2014-08-13.
  3. ↑ Raúl González Rodríguez. Deporte.org.mx. Retrieved on 2014-08-13.
  4. ↑ Raul Gonzalez. Speakersmexico.com (1949-06-03). Retrieved on 2014-08-13.



Records
Preceded by
East Germany Bernd Kannenberg		 Men's 50km Walk World Record Holder
April 23, 1978 – March 13, 1983 		Succeeded by
Spain Josep Marín