Norma Enriqueta "Queta" Basilio Sotelo (15 July 1948 – 26 October 2019), was a Mexican

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete. She was born in

Mexicali Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area is home to 1,000,0 ...

, capital of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

. She came from an athletic family; her father was a cotton farmer. Her Polish coach, Vladimir Puzio, moved her from high jumping to hurdling. She made history by becoming the first woman to

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...

the Olympic Cauldron. She was the last torch-bearer of the 19th Summer Olympics in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

on 12 October 1968. She was a national athletics champion and record-holder in

80 metres hurdles 80 metres hurdles is a distance in hurdling ran by women until 1972 in international competitions. Since the 1972 Summer Olympics, the event has been permanently replaced by the 100 metre hurdles. Masters athletics The distance, with different s ...

and finished seventh in this event at the 1967 Pan American Games. At the 1968 Olympics she was eliminated in the heats of the 400 metres, 80 metres hurdles and 4 × 100 metres relay events.Enriqueta Basilio
Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-05-05. In 1970, she took bronze in the

Central American Games The Central American Games ( es, Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos) are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial (every 4 years), typically in the first year after Summer Olympics. The Games are open for member federation ...

4 x 100m relay. She married the basketball player Mario Álvarez, who was later secretary to the

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

state governor. She was widowed with three young children when he died in an aeroplane accident. She studied sociology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and became a federal deputy for the

Institutional Revolutionary Party The Institutional Revolutionary Party ( es, Partido Revolucionario Institucional, ; abbr. PRI) is a political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 and held uninterrupted power in the country for 71 years, from 1929 to 2000, first as the Nati ...

(PRI) during the

LVIII Legislature of the Mexican Congress The LVIII Legislature of the Congress of Mexico met from September 1, 2000, to August 31, 2003. All members of the LVIII Legislature were elected in the elections of July 2000. Senators of the LVIII Legislature By state Plurinominal Senator ...

. She became a permanent member of the Mexico Olympic Committee and was part of the 2004 Olympic torch relay when it was passing through

. In 2014, she was amongst 6,500 people defrauded of their savings in a money-lending business scam. She died of pneumonia on 26 October 2019, aged 71. On 15 October 2020, the small moon of

trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

asteroid

3548 Eurybates 3548 Eurybates ( ) is a carbonaceous Jupiter trojan from the Greek camp and the parent body of the Eurybates family, approximately in diameter. It is a target to be visited by the ''Lucy'' mission in August 2027. Discovered during the second ...

was named ''Queta'' after her, making her the first Olympic athlete honored in this way.

References

External links

The Mexican Legislative Branch Official Website
*Sánchez Hidalgo, "Nuestros Juegos México 68", Published by "Comité Olímpico Mexicano" (Mexican Olympic Committee). 2003

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilio, Enriqueta 1948 births 2019 deaths Sportspeople from Mexicali Mexican female sprinters Mexican female hurdlers Olympic athletes of Mexico Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics Pan American Games competitors for Mexico Athletes (track and field) at the 1967 Pan American Games Competitors at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medalists for Mexico Olympic cauldron lighters 21st-century Mexican politicians 21st-century Mexican women politicians Politicians from Baja California Institutional Revolutionary Party politicians Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) Women members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics Deputies of the LVIII Legislature of Mexico