 |
Valentin Perez, Lidia
|
| NOC |
Spain
|
| Gender | Women |
| Born | 10 Feb 1985
in Ponferrada, ESP |
| Height | 1.69 m |
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General Interest |
| Awards and honours |
A sculpture in her honour was erected in her hometown of Camponaraya, Spain, in 2021. (iwf.sport, 01 Oct 2021)
In 2020 the Toralin Municipal Sports Complex in Ponferrada, Spain, was renamed in her honour. (ponferrada.org, 01 May 2021; efe.com, 22 Dec 2020)
She was named the 2018 Female Athlete of the Year by Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo. (mundodeportivo.com, 08 Feb 2019)
She was named the 2017 and 2018 Jeno Boskovics Lifter of the Year by the International Weightlifting Federation following a public vote. (iwf.net, 08 May 2018, 11 Feb 2019)
In 2016 she received the National Sports Award in Spain. (lydiavalentin.com, 01 Apr 2018)
She received the gold medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in 2016, and the silver medal in 2014. (lydiavalentin.com, 01 Apr 2018) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning bronze in the 75kg category at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (Twitter profile, 12 Aug 2017) |
| Ambitions |
To win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (efe.com, 03 Jun 2021) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Training Regime |
She trains at Joaquin Blume High Performance Centre in Madrid, Spain. |
Further Personal Information |
| Higher education |
Physical Education - San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia [UCAM]: Spain |
General Interest |
| Hobbies |
Driving, listening to music. (elespanol.com, 12 Dec 2020) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
She forms a heart shape with her hands after successfully completing her last attempt in competitions. (leonoticias.com, 17 Jul 2019) |
| Milestones |
She became the first Spanish weightlifter to win an Olympic medal of any colour when she was retrospectively awarded silver for the 75kg category at the 2008 Games due to anti-doping violations of several competitors. She had originally finished fifth in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 13 Jun 2021)
She became the first Spanish weightlifter to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first Spanish lifter to win two Olympic medals, when she was retrospectively awarded gold for the 75kg category at the 2012 Games due to anti-doping violations of several competitors. She had originally finished fourth in London. (SportsDeskOnline, 13 Jun 2021)
At the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim, CA, United States of America, she became the first Spanish lifter to win a gold medal at the world championships when she triumphed in the 75kg category snatch lift and clean and jerk, as well as combined total score. The following year she became the first female lifter to win a world championship gold medal in the newly introduced 81kg category when she triumphed in both snatch lift and combined total score at the event in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. (SportsDeskOnline, 13 Jun 2021) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Reality surpasses the dream." (Twitter profile, 09 Jun 2021) |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Madrid, ESP |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
"I really liked all kinds of sport. A weightlifting coach noticed me and offered me the chance to try the sport. I liked it so much from the first time that I decided to focus on weightlifting. Now I think that I did not choose this sport but that it chose me." |
| Name of coach |
Matias Fernandez [national], ESP |
General Interest |
| Other information |
OLYMPIC UPGRADES
She originally finished fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but due to anti-doping violations of athletes who finished ahead of her at the time, she was upgraded to the gold medal for the 2012 Games and the silver medal for the 2008 Games. "I was given the gold from London just before going to the Rio Olympics. I was glad, but I had my mind on Rio and I could not lose my concentration. Suddenly you are the gold medallist from London and you are a candidate to win gold in Rio too. That was a lot of pressure. And then, after the Games, they told me that I had won silver in Beijing. It is extraordinary. Just a few months earlier I did not have any Olympic medals, and suddenly I see myself with three. Of course, you think about what it would have been like to have won them at the time. How I would have trained differently after winning gold in London, with probably a lot more resources. These are things I will never know, but it does not matter, because now I have my medals and I know I have achieved them in a clean, honest way." (eldiarioalerta.com, 03 Jun 2021; expansion.com, 09 Oct 2017; marca.com, 28 Sep 2017)
SPORTING IMAGE
She says she is proud that her example has changed the image of weightlifting in Spain as a male sport. "Sport is sport, period. It is true that more boys than girls have practised weightlifting, so I am very happy to have been the first person from Spain, especially being a woman, to win an Olympic medal, and a world championship gold medal. I think people can see weightlifting as a sport has changed, now there are more girls who practise it, and people realise that it is not a question of gender, but rather a question of talent. Now the way is open. Girls have a little easier path than when I started. When someone leads the way it is much easier. If it was thanks to me, I am proud to have facilitated it. Someone had to be." (olympics.com, 31 Mar 2021)
APPAREL DESIGN
She designs her own collection of active apparel, including sweat pants and T-shirts. "I am interested in fashion because I consider myself a creative person. I think there is a demand at the national training centre [CAR] because there are more girls than boys. In the future I would like to dress the national team." (elpais.com, 02 Jun 2018) |
Sport Specific Information |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began weightlifting at age 11. |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Athlete |
| Languages |
Spanish |
Sport Specific Information |
| Club / Team |
UCAM Murcia: Spain |
General Interest |
| Injuries |
Gastroenteritis prevented her from competing at the 2021 European Championships in Moscow, Russian Federation. (rtve.es, 05 Apr 2021)
A shoulder injury disrupted her training ahead of the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. She went on to win two gold medals at the event. (diariosur.es, 08 Nov 2018)
She missed the 2015 World Championships in Houston, TX, United States of America, and the 2016 European Championships in Forde, Norway, due to a foot injury she sustained in November 2015. She returned to competition in March 2016. (sport.es, 14 Apr 2016; mundodeportivo.com, 08 Mar 2016; wangconnection.com, 27 Nov 2015) |
| | Olympic Games |
| 2020 |
10 |
87kg |
 Tokyo |
| 2016 |
3 |
75kg |
 Rio de Janeiro |
| 2012 |
1 |
75kg |
 London |
| 2008 |
2 |
75kg |
 Beijing |
| | World Championships |
| 2019 |
2 |
81kg |
 Pattaya |
| 2019 |
5 |
81kg - Snatch |
Pattaya |
| 2019 |
3 |
81kg - Clean & Jerk |
Pattaya |
| 2018 |
1 |
81kg |
 Ashgabat |
| 2018 |
1 |
81kg - Snatch |
Ashgabat |
| 2018 |
3 |
81kg - Clean & Jerk |
Ashgabat |
| 2017 |
1 |
75kg |
 Anaheim, CA |
| 2017 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Anaheim, CA |
| 2017 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Anaheim, CA |
| 2015 |
|
75kg |
Houston, TX |
| 2015 |
|
75kg - Snatch |
Houston, TX |
| 2015 |
|
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Houston, TX |
| 2014 |
4 |
75kg |
 Almaty |
| 2014 |
3 |
75kg - Snatch |
Almaty |
| 2014 |
4 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Almaty |
| 2013 |
3 |
75kg |
 Wroclaw |
| 2013 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Wroclaw |
| 2013 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Wroclaw |
| 2011 |
5 |
75kg |
 Paris |
| 2011 |
4 |
75kg - Snatch |
Paris |
| 2011 |
7 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Paris |
| 2010 |
|
75kg |
 Antalya |
| 2010 |
6 |
75kg - Snatch |
Antalya |
| 2010 |
|
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Antalya |
| 2009 |
5 |
75kg |
 Goyang |
| 2009 |
3 |
75kg - Snatch |
Goyang |
| 2009 |
8 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Goyang |
| 2007 |
6 |
75kg |
Chiang Mai |
| 2007 |
5 |
75kg - Snatch |
Chiang Mai |
| 2007 |
8 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Chiang Mai |
| 2006 |
|
75kg |
 Santo Domingo |
| 2006 |
13 |
75kg - Snatch |
Santo Domingo |
| 2006 |
|
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Santo Domingo |
| 2005 |
10 |
75kg |
 Doha |
| 2005 |
7 |
75kg - Snatch |
Doha |
| 2005 |
13 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Doha |
| 2002 |
|
63kg |
Warsaw |
| 2002 |
|
63kg - Snatch |
Warsaw |
| 2002 |
13 |
63kg - Clean & Jerk |
Warsaw |
| | European Championships |
| 2019 |
2 |
76kg |
 Batumi |
| 2019 |
1 |
76kg - Snatch |
Batumi |
| 2019 |
2 |
76kg - Clean & Jerk |
Batumi |
| 2018 |
1 |
75kg |
 Bucharest |
| 2018 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Bucharest |
| 2018 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Bucharest |
| 2017 |
1 |
75kg |
 Split |
| 2017 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Split |
| 2017 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Split |
| 2015 |
1 |
75kg |
Tbilisi |
| 2015 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Tbilisi |
| 2015 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Tbilisi |
| 2014 |
1 |
75kg |
 Tel Aviv |
| 2014 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Tel Aviv |
| 2014 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Tel Aviv |
| 2013 |
2 |
75kg |
 Tirana |
| 2013 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Tirana |
| 2013 |
2 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Tirana |
| 2012 |
2 |
75kg |
Antalya |
| 2012 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Antalya |
| 2012 |
2 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Antalya |
| 2011 |
3 |
75kg |
 Kazan |
| 2011 |
3 |
75kg - Snatch |
Kazan |
| 2011 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Kazan |
| 2010 |
4 |
75kg |
 Minsk |
| 2010 |
4 |
75kg - Snatch |
Minsk |
| 2010 |
4 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Minsk |
| 2009 |
3 |
75kg |
Bucharest |
| 2009 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Bucharest |
| 2009 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Bucharest |
| 2008 |
2 |
75kg |
 Lignano Sabbiadoro |
| 2008 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Lignano Sabbiadoro |
| 2008 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Lignano Sabbiadoro |
| 2007 |
3 |
75kg |
Strasbourg |
| 2007 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Strasbourg |
| 2007 |
4 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Strasbourg |
| 2006 |
7 |
75kg |
Wladyslawowo |
| 2006 |
5 |
75kg - Snatch |
Wladyslawowo |
| 2006 |
7 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Wladyslawowo |
| 2005 |
6 |
75kg |
 Sofia |
| 2005 |
6 |
75kg - Snatch |
Sofia |
| 2005 |
7 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Sofia |
| 2004 |
9 |
75kg |
 Kiev |
| 2004 |
11 |
75kg - Snatch |
Kiev |
| 2004 |
9 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Kiev |
| 2002 |
11 |
69kg |
Antalya |
| 2002 |
11 |
69kg - Snatch |
Antalya |
| 2002 |
9 |
69kg - Clean & Jerk |
Antalya |
| | European Junior & Under 23 Championships |
| 2005 |
3 |
75kg |
 Trencín |
| 2005 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Trencín |
| 2005 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Trencín |
| 2004 |
4 |
75kg |
Burgas |
| 2004 |
3 |
75kg - Snatch |
Burgas |
| 2004 |
5 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Burgas |
| 2003 |
12 |
63kg |
 Valencia |
| 2003 |
6 |
63kg - Snatch |
Valencia |
| 2003 |
14 |
63kg - Clean & Jerk |
Valencia |
| | IWF Grand Prix |
| 2013 |
1 |
75kg |
Moscow |
| 2013 |
1 |
75kg - Snatch |
Moscow |
| 2013 |
1 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Moscow |
| 2011 |
3 |
75kg |
Belgorod |
| 2011 |
2 |
75kg - Snatch |
Belgorod |
| 2011 |
3 |
75kg - Clean & Jerk |
Belgorod |
| |
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