Candela Gonzalez

Happy monumental birthday to Spain’s sprinter Candela González, who closed one of the hardest seasons of her career by running the fastest outdoor 200m of her life.

Candela is a short sprinter, best over 200m and 60m with some 100m alongside. In her first season in FC Barcelona colours she ran 25.07 at the Spanish U20 short-track championships in Sabadell, and her 60m best of 7.82 won the Valencian U20 clubs title. Then in July at the Spanish U20 Championships in Albacete she made the semifinals and ran 25.20, an outdoor personal best, for 10th in Spain over 200m.

Injuries held her up for most of the year, and by her own account she doubted she would make the national championships at all. She arrived after months without a race and ran quicker than she ever had outdoors. Her own summary is what stays with you: not the ending she had pictured, but she came back, she enjoyed it again, and she showed there is a great deal still to do. She wrote that at 17, with more wisdome and maturity on a hard year than plenty of athletes manage at twice her experience.

She credits @fcb.atletisme, @waeca, @juanfrantrainingcenter and @monicamendoza.nutricion for getting her back to a start line. With an outdoor best set in a national semifinal off an interrupted season.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Candela! Mucha salud, mucha alegría y que cumplas muchos más, con dieciocho tirones de orejas y muchas curvas más por delante. Per molts anys! 🎂🎁🎉🫶🫶🇪🇸