Paola Milagros Espinosa Sánchez (born 31 July 1986) is a Mexican
diver and represented Mexico at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in
Athens, the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in
Beijing, where she was her national team's flagbearer, and the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in
London.
In 1987, the Espinosa Sánchez family moved to
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
from
Mexico City with Paola, who was barely nine months old.
In
Athens in 2004, from speciality platform jumps of 10 meters, she placed in the individual jump and fifth in synchronized jumps. In the synchronized jumps, she participated with
Tatiana Ortiz, who was also an Olympic medalist.
On August 8, 2008, she was the champion of the Mexico national team at the
Opening ceremony
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event. of the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the
National Stadium in
Beijing. She won a
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
in the Women's Synchronized 10-meter Platform at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in Beijing on 12 August 2008 with a score of 330.06. She won
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
in the same event at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
with a score of 343.32 on Tuesday, 31 July 2012.
Espinosa won the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
in the 10-meter platform at the
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships ( it, Campionati mondiali di nuoto 2009) or the XIII FINA World Championships were held in Rome, Italy from 18 July to 2 August 2009. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines ...
in
Rome with a score of 428.25. The
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
was won by the
Chinese athlete
Chen Ruolin, who is also an Olympian, with a score of 417.60. The
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
was given to the
Chinese athlete Kang Li, who had a score of 410.35.
In 2011, she participated at the
2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...
where she won the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
at the 10-meter platform individual and synchronized events, as well as
gold in the 3-meter synchronized
springboard event. She has won a total of 13 medals at the
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
, 8 of them
gold.
On Tuesday, 31 July 2012, in the
Olympic Games in London, she won a
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
in the 10-meter synchronized platform together with
Alejandra Orozco, with a score of 343.32.
She was also the champion of the
Central America and Caribbean Games in
Mayaguez 2010.
International Games
Olympic Games
*
Beijing 2008: Espinosa won the
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
in synchronized jumps from the 10-meter platform along with
Tatiana Ortiz during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. She was commissioned to lead the Mexican delegation during the opening ceremony, carrying the national
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
. She was fourth in the individual event, with Tatiana placing fifth.
*
London 2012: She won a
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
in synchronized diving from the 10-meter level along with
Alejandra Orozco during the London Olympic Games in 2012. She was competing in the Olympics while celebrating her 26th birthday. Espinosa thereby became the first
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
athlete to get two medals in different Olympic events. In the individual jump, she came in sixth.
*
Río 2016: She competed in the 10-meter jump together with
Alejandra Orozco during the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and finished sixth, while individually she finished fourth.
World Championships
*
Barcelona 2003: Together with
Laura Sánchez, she achieved third place in the synchronized jump from 3 meters, and with this, won the
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
.
* Rome 2009: Rome was the place where she became a world champion. Paola won first in the 10-meter platform with perfect scores. Her victory made her the first
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
diver to win a world title.
* Shanghai 2011: During the 2011 championships, Paola was not able to defend her title. She finished third behind the
Chinese divers
Chen Ruolin and
Hu Yadan.
Pan-American Games
During the
Pan-American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
which were held in
Santo Domingo, she won, together with
Laura Sánchez, two
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
s in synchronized diving, the first in 3-meter platform and the other in the 10-meter platform. Four years later, she was even more outstanding, having won three
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
s and one
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
. On 26 October 2011, in the city of
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
,
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
,
Mexico, she won the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
in the 10-meter platform.
Central American and Caribbean Games
She was recognized as the first athlete with the most number of medals from
Mexico in the
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games (Spanish: ''XXI Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, Mayagüez 2010'') took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from 18 July 2010 to 1 August 2010.
Bid
It was understood that Mayagüez was going to b ...
. Her performance in the 21st edition of the games included earning a total of three medals; a
gold in the 10-meter platform, a
gold in the 1-meter
springboard, and a
gold in the 3-meter springboard.
University
At
Kazan University in 2013, she won a
bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
in the synchronized dive and fourth in the individual dive.
Swimwear
Arena
* ARN-5002
* ARN-6004W RYAB
* ARN-6018 BLU
* FAR-9543 WHT
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espinosa, Paola
1986 births
Living people
People from La Paz, Baja California Sur
Sportspeople from Baja California Sur
Mexican female divers
Divers at the 2003 Pan American Games
Divers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Divers at the 2007 Pan American Games
Divers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Divers at the 2011 Pan American Games
Divers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Divers at the 2015 Pan American Games
Divers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Divers at the 2019 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for Mexico
Olympic divers of Mexico
Olympic medalists in diving
Olympic silver medalists for Mexico
Pan American Games gold medalists for Mexico
Pan American Games silver medalists for Mexico
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Mexico
Pan American Games medalists in diving
Universiade medalists in diving
World Aquatics Championships medalists in diving
Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Mexico
Competitors at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
Universiade gold medalists for Mexico
Universiade silver medalists for Mexico
Universiade bronze medalists for Mexico
Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in diving
Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2007 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2009 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2011 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2013 Summer Universiade
Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2019 Pan American Games