José Marín (athlete)

José Marín ( José Marín Sospedra, Catalan Josep Marín i Sospedra ; born January 20, 1950 in El Prat de Llobregat , Catalonia ) is a former Spanish walker . He was European champion in walking 20 km and set a world best time of 3:40:46 in walking 50 km .

At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow , he was fifth over 20 km and sixth over 50 km. In 1982 he won the European Championships in Athens over 20 km and won over 50 km silver behind Reima Salonen from Finland. The following year he also won silver at the World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 over 50 km and was fourth over 20 km. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles , he came in sixth place.

In 1987 he won a bronze medal over 20 km at the World Championships in Rome . In 1988 at the Olympic Games in Seoul was again on both walking routes and was fourth over 20 km and fifth over 50 km.

He started three more times at major international events over 50 km: he came fifth at the 1990 European Championships in Split, twelfth at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo and ninth at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona .

José Marín is 1.64 m tall and weighed 60 kg at competition times. He comes from the same town as Jorge Llopart, who is two years his junior . Llopart and Marín were the first two Spanish walkers to win medals internationally.

Best times

• 20 km walking: 1:20:00 h, April 17, 1983, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
• 50 km walking: 3:40:46 h, March 13, 1983, Valencia

Web links

• José Marín in the database of World Athletics (English)
• Athlete portrait at the RFEA
• Entry on the website of the Comité Olímpico Español