The Spirit of the Mexican Athlete
Athletics in Mexico has a rich history filled with outstanding heroes and heroines who have left an indelible mark on the sport.
Teacher's Day Olympics (1930)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A peculiar origin
Towards the end of the 19th century, athletics began to be practiced in Mexico City thanks to American communities, who organized various athletic competitions as part of national holiday celebrations.
A competitive origin
In these events, athletes participated in races, jumps, and throws, demonstrating discipline and striving to set new records.
Athletics 'field days'
In the first decade of the 20th century, athletics gained a following among the elite of Mexico City, as sports clubs like the Mexico Country Club began to dedicate spaces and infrastructure needed to train and organize competitions in this discipline.
Sporting rationale
In 1907, the first athletic meeting was held in Mixcoac, where the best athletes from each club gathered with the idea of competing and setting new records for time and distance. This event included 10 trials, such as flat races, high jumps, and long jumps.
Women's team "Salvador Alvarado" (1940)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Female athletes
In the 1920s, as athletics gained popularity in Mexico's clubs, some academics began to debate women's participation in sports.
Social debates
At that time, people questioned the athletic role of women in modernization, as well as the benefits of their participation in sports in relation to their reproductive function, without neglecting their responsibilities at home and as mothers.
The Final Race (1950)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Feminine spirit
Although female participation in athletics in Mexico was scarce between 1920 and 1930, women gradually began to build and take part in spaces, such as the Elementary School of Physical Education, where they started training in the discipline.
Coyoacán High School Team (1968-08-04)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Breaking the status quo
The first official participation by Mexican women in an international athletics event occurred when the Mexican delegation included athlete María Soto Uribe Jasso in the 10th Olympic Games in 1932, held in Los Angeles, California.
Changing paradigms
This event helped break down stereotypes and limitations on women's participation in sports and on them exposing their bodies in public.
Group 2 start (1968-08-09) by José RíosMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Historic event
During the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, Mexican female athletes played a prominent part. The sprinter Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron.
Olympic representation
At the same event, the number of women in the athletics delegation increased, consisting of outstanding athletes such as Esperanza Girón, Alma Rosa Martínez, and Mercedes Román. Their participation was an important milestone in female representation in athletics.
Women's Race (1968)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Promoting sporting freedom
By the mid-20th century, women's freedom in athletics was gaining ground and new spaces opened up for their development. Athletics began to be practiced in schools, especially in high schools and universities across the country.
Free spaces
For example, in the 1960s, the Physical Education Directorate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) provided spaces and organized interschool competitions for university students to practice athletics.
IMSS selective athletic competition (1984-04-01)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Official spaces
From the mid-20th century, sports units of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) provided opportunities for women to have more spaces dedicated to athletics practice and training.
Elite athletes
Whether for recreation or to professionalize as high-performance athletes, women sought to participate in various competitions organized by the country's athletics associations.
Eva Sol Vallejo
In the 1970s, athletes like Eva Sol Vallejo continued to fight for recognition in athletics through inclusion in associations and participation in various championships, such as in the 6th Central American and Caribbean Championship.
100 meter freestyle start (1971-07-23) by RadugaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Professionalization
Despite the integration of women into Mexican athletics, it was not until the 1980s that they were officially recognized as professional athletes in this field.
Olympic heroines
At the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics, the Mexican delegation included a larger number of female athletes, such as María del Carmen Cárdenas, María Luisa Ronquillo, María Trujillo, Alma Delia Vázquez, Cristina Fink, Blanca Jaime, and Sandra Tavares.
A Mexican silver medalist
At the start of the 21st century, women's athletics in Mexico took a new direction thanks to the outstanding performance of the athlete Ana Gabriela Guevara. At the 28th Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Guevara won the silver medal in the speed discipline.
Extraordinary Mexican women
The same year, Mexican Paralympians gave a remarkable performance in athletics during the Athens Paralympic Games. A total of eight medals were won in this discipline, one of them thanks to the athlete Perla Bustamante Corona.
Relay Race (1940)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Athletics as a form of health
Throughout the 20th century, children's and youth athletics in Mexico was promoted in various spaces: in schools as a complementary activity within physical education classes and in municipal sports centers throughout the country.
Children's Marathon (1980)Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Children are the future
Since the last decades of the 20th century, it has become common for both girls and boys to participate in tournaments and championships organized by athletics associations in Mexico.
Children's marathons
In 1962, a tournament was held in the state of Jalisco, specifically in the stadium of the Technological Institute, where athletes competed over various distances such as 60, 80, 100, 200, and 500 meters.
This story was created with information and support from Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos de las Revoluciones de México.
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