Naide Gomes
 Gomes at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, in Berlin, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Portugal (since 2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 November 1979 São Tomé and Príncipe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Heptathlon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sporting CP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 18 July 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Abreu Matos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 26 March 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes OIH (born 20 November 1979) is a Portuguese retired heptathlete and long jumper. She also competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the club level, she represented Sporting CP.
Early life and education
Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes was born on 20 November 1979 in São Tomé and Príncipe.[1][2] She grew up in the capital São Tomé with her family, which she later described as having been, during her childhood, "[not] wealthy ... but never lack[ing] anything either."[2] When Gomes was five, her mother moved to Lisbon, Portugal, due to health problems. She consequently lived with her grandmother for a few years before joining her mother in Lisbon when she was 11.[2] She adapted well to life in Lisbon, as her family already spoke Portuguese natively, and her grandfather was from Portugal.[2] She later said that she "had quite a good education in São Tomé", which was "quite strict" in comparison to her education in Lisbon.[2]
Gomes began formally practicing athletics at the age of 13 but quickly stopped, believing her training to be interfering with her studies. However, about a year later, while living in the parish of Fernão Ferro, across the Tagus Estuary from Lisbon, a physical education teacher convinced Gomes of her talent and encouraged her to resume training.[2] When she was 17, she joined Sporting CP and met Abreu Matos, who would become her longtime coach. According to Gomes, by that time she "was among the best heptathletes and high jumpers in Portugal", and had begun to seriously consider becoming a Portuguese citizen.[2]
Career
Gomes started competing under the flag of her birth country São Tomé and Príncipe and represented it at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, though she has lived in Portugal since she was 11 years old. At the Sydney Olympics, Gomes was the São-Tomé flag carrier in the opening ceremony. Before changing nationality she set the current São Tomé and Príncipe records in 100 metres hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin throw and heptathlon.[3]
She gained Portuguese citizenship in 2001,[4] and has since represented Portugal at major international events.
Gomes has won the gold medal for long jump at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, raising the national record to 6.89 m.
In Madrid, she became the first Portuguese athlete ever to reach the seven metres distance in the long jump, by jumping 7.01m. In Valencia she won gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2008, by jumping 7.00m.
On 22 July, Naide Gomes was the winner of the IAAF Super Grand Prix DN Galan, Stockholm, Sweden, with a new national record of 7.04 m.
On 29 July, at the IAAF Super Grand Prix Herculis, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, she jumped 7.12 m, a new national record and 2008 world's best mark.
On 19 August, at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China, a top-favorite for the gold medal, in peak physical condition and having dominated the season, Gomes unexpectedly fouled on her first two attempts and then stutter-stepped on her final try jumping a mere 6.29 m, thus failing to qualify to the final.
She won the long jump gold medal at the 2009 Lusophony Games with a jump of 6.74 m.[5]
On 26 March 2015, Naide Gomes announced her retirement in a special news conference with close friends and the long term coach, at age 35.[6][7] Main reasons appointed the prolonged injuries she is suffering since 2013, that took her away from the tracks, and the need of another surgery. She said to be very proud of her career, after winning 11 international medals, though failing at Olympic level, and wants to continue to be close to athletes, either as a coach or as physiotherapist. She also announced she's expecting her first child.[8]
Results
Honours
Gomes was made an Officer of the Order of Prince Henry on 8 March 2005.[9]
See also
References
- ^ "Naide GOMES". World Athletics. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Naide Gomes: Portugal's Special One". IAAF Magazine. No. 1. World Athletics. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ São Tomé and Príncipe athletics records Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The decree granting Portuguese citizenship to Ms Gomes was signed on 4 May 2001 published in the Portuguese official gazette (Diário da República) on 22 May 2001. See here, page 8600, second column. Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Fernandes, António Manuel (2009-07-14). Évora, another title in Lisbon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-23.
- ^ "Naide Gomes anuncia fim de carreira" (in Portuguese). Noticias ao Minuto. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
Naide Gomes announces the end of career
- ^ "Naide Gomes anuncia final de carreira". Diario de Noticias newspaper (in Portuguese). 26 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
Naide Gomes announces end of career
- ^ "Naide Gomes anuncia final de carreira". Rádio Renascença (in Portuguese). 26 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
Naide Gomes announces end of career and reveals to be pregnant
- ^ "Chancelaria das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas" [Chancellery of Portuguese Honourary Orders] (PDF). Diário da República. Vol. II, no. 106. Lisbon: Government of Portugal. p. 8327. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
External links
World Indoor Champions in women's long jump | |
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World Indoor Champions in women's pentathlon | |
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- 1979 births
- Living people
- São Tomé and Príncipe female long jumpers
- Portuguese female long jumpers
- Portuguese female hurdlers
- Portuguese heptathletes
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for São Tomé and Príncipe
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Portugal
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- São Tomé and Príncipe emigrants to Portugal
- European Athletics Championships medalists
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- People from São Tomé
- FISU World University Games silver medalists for Portugal
- Golden Globes (Portugal) winners
- World Athletics Indoor Championships winners
- Competitors at the 2003 Summer Universiade
- Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 All-Africa Games
- African Games competitors for São Tomé and Príncipe