Rosa Mota
Awards & Honours
4
Awards Won
3
Honours
3
Records
Rosa Mota's achievements stand among the finest in distance running. She is the first Portuguese woman to win Olympic gold, a feat she accomplished at the 1988 Seoul Games, and she added a bronze from 1984. Her triple crown of European, World, and Olympic titles is a record no other female runner has matched. She won 14 of 21 marathons, including two Chicago titles and one Boston victory. The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races named her the greatest female marathon runner of all time, a fitting tribute to a career built on consistency and dominance.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
National honour for her contributions to Portuguese athletics.
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
National honour recognizing her sporting achievements.
Greatest Female Marathon Runner of All Time
Honored at the AIMS 30th Anniversary Gala.
Records & Feats
First Portuguese woman to win Olympic gold
Won the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, becoming the first female athlete from Portugal to take gold at the Games.
Only female runner to hold European, World, and Olympic marathon titles simultaneously
Achieved the triple crown by winning the 1986 European Championship, 1987 World Championship, and 1988 Olympic gold.
First woman to win multiple Olympic marathon medals
Won bronze in 1984 and gold in 1988, a feat no other female marathoner had accomplished at the time.