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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Ana Guevara specialized in the 400 meters

Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza born March 4, 1977, in Nogales, Sonora is a now-retired Mexican track and field athlete, specialized in the 400 meters. Her career began in 1996 carrying out diverse tours, participating in her first international competences. In 1998, she won two silver medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games in the distances of 400 and 800 meters.
Her first major victory was the gold medal in the 400m at the 1999 Pan American Games in Canada. A year later, she qualified to the 2000 Sydney Olympics going to the 400m finals, finishing with a reasonable 5th place with a time of 49.96 seconds. (After that race, she won 28 consecutive international races before a second-place finish in Rome in July 2004).
At the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, Guevara made the finals in the 400m. She came off the last turn leading the race with about 105m to go. Unfortunately, she could not keep the fast pace and was passed by Amy Mbacke Thiam from Senegal and Lorraine Fenton from Jamaica with no more than 20 meters to go. Guevara won the bronze medal posting a season best with a time of 49.97 seconds. In fact, Fenton and Mbacke Thiam also posted personal bests, the last one also being a national record.
In 2003, she defended her title in the 400m at the 2003 Pan American Games winning the gold medal. Later, on August 27, 2003, in Paris, France, she won the International Association of Athletics Federations' Golden League in the women's 400m. She set a personal record, a national record, and a world leading time, running away from the field in 48.89 seconds. That time currently is, as of 2008, the 9th fastest time in history.
Guevara, being the flag carrier for the Mexican team, would make her second Olympic team on 2004 representing her country in the 400 meters. After winning her heat in the first round, and her corresponding semi-final, she would go on to win the silver medal in the final.
A year later, at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, she won the bronze medal in the 400 meters with a time of 49.81 seconds, despite the heavy rainfall.
In 2007, for the third consecutive time, she won the gold medal in the 400 m at the 2007 Pan American Games. In addition, she led Mexico's 4 X 400 m relay team to a second place finish with an incredible comeback. About a month later, at age of 30 Guevara participated in her fourth World Championships in Athletics in Osaka. She finished in fourth place with a time of 50.16 seconds, a season best. Just beating 24 year old DeeDee Trotter of the United States by .01 seconds.
On January 16, 2008 she announced her definitive retirement from all competitions due to conflicts with Mariano Lara, the (nowadays former), president of the Mexican Athletics Federation. No help was received at that time by Carlos Hermosillo, director of the CONADE (Comision Nacional de Cultura Fisica y Deporte) who did not act rapidly and the problem only grew bigger and continued for months. Ana finally said: "My retirement from sport in Mexico is now definitive, I contemplated the possibility of participating independently at the Olympic Games but my dream was to participate for my country..."
In 2009 she entered politics, standing as the PRD candidate for Miguel Hidalgo Delegation in Mexico City. Due to her inexperience in politics she lost to Demetrio Sodi from PAN.
bests
Date Event Venue Time
2003 300 m Mexico 35.30 WB
2003 400 m Paris, France 48.89 NR
2000 4x400 m Japan 3:27.14 NR
1998 800 m Venezuela 2:01.12