María Caridad Colón Rueñes-Salazar (born March 25, 1958, in

Baracoa Baracoa, whose full original name is: ''Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa'' (“Our Lady of the Assumption of Baracoa”), is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. It was visited by Admiral Christop ...

) is a former

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...

er from

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

who won the gold medal at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

, setting a new record. She lit the flame at the

1982 Central American and Caribbean Games The 14th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Havana, Cuba from August 7 to August 18, 1982, and included 2,420 athletes from nineteen nations competing in 25 different sports. Some events were held in Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, an ...

. In 2020, Rueñes became a member of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

(IOC).

International competitions

¹Representing the Americas

References

External links

* * * 1958 births Living people People from Baracoa Cuban female javelin throwers Olympic athletes for Cuba Olympic gold medalists for Cuba Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba Central American and Caribbean Games silver medalists for Cuba Competitors at the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) World Athletics Championships athletes for Cuba Universiade bronze medalists for Cuba International Olympic Committee members Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics Medalists at the 1985 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Friendship Games medalists in athletics 20th-century Cuban women 20th-century Cuban people {{Cuba-athletics-bio-stub