María Concepción Paredes

Conchi Paredes started her athletics career as a 15-year-old long jumper with Polideportivo Puentecillas, in her home-town of Palencia, before going on to become Spain’s finest female triple jumper in the 1990s. She was ranked number one for 11 consecutive years 1990-2000, and won 17 national titles, eight indoor (1991-99) and nine consecutive outdoor (1990-98). Paredes represented Spain on 30 occasions between 1991-2000, including three outdoor and four indoor World Championships. Her best performance was sixth, at the 1993 indoor championships in Toronto. She also competed in five European Championships (four indoor), and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Her personal best of 14.30 m, set at Segovia in 1994, stood as a Spanish record for eight years until beaten by Carlota Castrejana in 2002. Paredes’ last competitive season was 2003, when she was still ranked eighth in Spain, at the age of 33. Shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with cancer, and died in 2019 at the age of 48, after a long battle with the disease.

Personal Best: TJ – 14.30 (1994).