Marta Dominguez of Spain crosses the line to win the gold medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (© Getty Images)
Marta Domínguez can arguably be regarded as not only the best ever Spanish female athlete but also the most prominent sports woman in the country’s history. Apart from her never-ending accolades throughout her athletics career, it should not be an easy task for pundits and knowledgeable athletics fans worldwide to find an athlete - past or current - who had enjoyed international success... at no fewer than five different disciplines! Such as – by chronological order - 1500m, 3000, 5000, cross country and 3000m steeplechase.
16 years in the limelight
Amazingly, it’s now no less than 16 years since the 34-year-old Spaniard (born 3 November 1975) first came to prominence with her European junior 1500m at home in San Sebastián back in 1993. “The previous year I saw Fermín Cacho winning the Olympic 1500 gold medal and I thought, why not me in the future?”
Domínguez capped her junior stage in style by grabbing the 1500 silver at the World Junior Championships held in Lisbon. As a prelude of the finest of her achievements – the World 3000m steeplechase gold medal in Berlin last summer– the 1.63m tall Spaniard’s background also includes two European 5000m titles, two World 5000m silver medals along with five more top-three finishes over 3000m indoors in continental and global competition plus the continental cross country crown snatched on the home soil of Toro two years ago.
But beyond those figures she is extremely admired by her compatriots for being a real fighter on the track, a born winner whose many victories have come after thrilling neck-and-neck battles in the homestraight with some of the most renowned middle-distance specialists throughout the years such as Portugal’s Carla Sacramento and Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan when Domínguez took back-to-back European titles in Vienna and Munich in 2002.
Hidden gold in the Steeplechase
Why did Domínguez changed from the flat events on the track to the steeplechase? “I needed new goals, exciting challenges; I have always liked the steeplechase event but when it emerged on the major championships schedule I was a successful 5000m specialist. Once I accomplished my targets at the distance, I tackled the 10,000m but I didn’t feel comfortable there and decided to move to the steeplechase as the 3000m flat event is one my favourites distances and I didn’t fear the barriers too much.”
Powered by her trademark pink headband – which is a gift she received from a relative when she was a kid – Domínguez entered the World Championships in Berlin as the season’s leader thanks to a massive National record of 9:09.39 she set in the Barcelona permit on 25 July in what was only her seventh ever appearance over the barriers.
In Berlin, the long gold medal wait ends
Yet, the reasonable pre-final favourite role in Berlin went for Russia’s Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, the reigning World record holder and Olympic champion from Beijing, an event which witnessed how Domínguez –still a complete beginner for the event at that point – fell when she was negotiating the barrier prior to the final water jump while still in the mix for the minor podium medals.
“Times are not important for me, just a reference, but when Galkina arrived in Berlin with ‘only’ a 9:11 season’s best that led me to suspect she might not be in the same top form from previous championships and so I put a question mark on her performance at the Worlds.
“Once into the final, with one lap to go, I realised Galkina was not running comfortably, as she had lost the lead and seemed in trouble. Therefore, I knew then that she was not going to be my toughest rival that day but her fellow Russian Yuliya Zarudneva and Kenya’s Milcah Cheywa instead.”
Although Zarudneva maintained the lead for much of the closing lap, Domínguez drew level over the final barrier and kicked into top gear to run away an unopposed victor clocking a world leader and Spanish record of 9:07.32 to move up to No. 3 on the world all-time list.
“I have been chasing a gold medal at a global championships for so many years and now the long wait is over fortunately.”
Change of event...and also of coach
In the spring of 2009 Domínguez split with his lifetime coach Mariano Díez, who had guided her since she took up athletics 24 years ago. While she refuses to make any comments on the matter, a new coach, in the guise of César Pérez, took charge of her final preparations in the countdown for Berlin. An athlete himself – Pérez was a creditable 8th at the last Europeans championships in Goteborg in the 3000m steeplechase and holds a fine 8:13:06 PB.
“César’s contribution to my gold medal has been vital as he – who managed his coach license in the USA – knows every secret of the steeplechase and has helped me a lot. Especially on the technique over the barriers and more importantly over the water jump which was my weakest point by far last year. Anyway, the Berlin success has been possible thanks to a lot of people, my former coach among them.”
The Olympic medal, still a thorn in her side
However, one of the few remaining accomplishments for Dominguez is an Olympic medal. As she herself relates, “I have not been fortunate at the various Olympics I have taken part in. First, I competed in Atlanta but I was only 20 years of age and could not advance from the 1500m heats. But the greatest disappointment came at the Sidney Olympics when I was in the form of my life having clocked an impressive 8:28.80 for 3000m some weeks prior to the big event, but unfortunately I had a strong cold that left me completely out of action in the 5000m event.
“At the Athens Olympic Games the thing was even worse as my injury prevented me from competing there after what had been my best ever year in 2003, what a shame! And finally, I fell in Beijing with some 200m to go when I was still in the hunt for a medal in the 3000m steeplechase, so it seems I will have to wait until the London Olympics in 2012 to finally fulfill my long-standing dream of becoming an Olympic medallist. In fact, if I had won a medal at the Beijing Olympics, my athletics career would likely have come to an end, at the highest level at least, and athletics would have become something secondary in my life.”
No WR plans for 2010, Barcelona is the only focus
Domínguez has not set major goals for 2010 apart from the Europeans Championships to be held on Spanish soil of Barcelona next summer (27 July / 1 August). Consequently, she has ruled out taking part in the upcoming World Indoor Championships to be staged in Doha in March despite her enviable indoor pedigree.
Asked on her chances of breaking Galkina’s stunning World record of 8:58.81, the blonde champion explains: “I was never especially interested in times, I have always preferred to peak for each year’s major championships to make the podium. Medals remain, records vanish. Anyway, that world record is extremely tough to beat”.
What seems beyond all doubt is the fact the “Lluis Comapnys” stadium in Barcelona – venue of the 1992 Olympic Games - will offer a very eagerly awaited clash between the evergreen Domínguez and Samitova next 30 July; whether both stars are able to contest the event at their top shape, then a new World record might be in prospect.
Rest is a must
Despite being 34 years of age, Domínguez does not feel a single hint of physical decadence; asked on her secret, the ever-smiling ace replies: “There are only two secrets: firstly, hard training and also a lot of rest to recover myself from the work sessions. I usually sleep nine hours at night and also have a daily three-hour nap. I’m convinced I wouldn’t be able to reach my targets without such an amount of rest,” she said, before adding with laughter, “but it’s also true that I spend half of my life asleep!”
It’s easy to guess that Domínguez has plenty of time to dream of an Olympic medal in London 2012.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
16 years in the limelight
Amazingly, it’s now no less than 16 years since the 34-year-old Spaniard (born 3 November 1975) first came to prominence with her European junior 1500m at home in San Sebastián back in 1993. “The previous year I saw Fermín Cacho winning the Olympic 1500 gold medal and I thought, why not me in the future?”
Domínguez capped her junior stage in style by grabbing the 1500 silver at the World Junior Championships held in Lisbon. As a prelude of the finest of her achievements – the World 3000m steeplechase gold medal in Berlin last summer– the 1.63m tall Spaniard’s background also includes two European 5000m titles, two World 5000m silver medals along with five more top-three finishes over 3000m indoors in continental and global competition plus the continental cross country crown snatched on the home soil of Toro two years ago.
But beyond those figures she is extremely admired by her compatriots for being a real fighter on the track, a born winner whose many victories have come after thrilling neck-and-neck battles in the homestraight with some of the most renowned middle-distance specialists throughout the years such as Portugal’s Carla Sacramento and Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan when Domínguez took back-to-back European titles in Vienna and Munich in 2002.
Hidden gold in the Steeplechase
Why did Domínguez changed from the flat events on the track to the steeplechase? “I needed new goals, exciting challenges; I have always liked the steeplechase event but when it emerged on the major championships schedule I was a successful 5000m specialist. Once I accomplished my targets at the distance, I tackled the 10,000m but I didn’t feel comfortable there and decided to move to the steeplechase as the 3000m flat event is one my favourites distances and I didn’t fear the barriers too much.”
Powered by her trademark pink headband – which is a gift she received from a relative when she was a kid – Domínguez entered the World Championships in Berlin as the season’s leader thanks to a massive National record of 9:09.39 she set in the Barcelona permit on 25 July in what was only her seventh ever appearance over the barriers.
In Berlin, the long gold medal wait ends
Yet, the reasonable pre-final favourite role in Berlin went for Russia’s Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, the reigning World record holder and Olympic champion from Beijing, an event which witnessed how Domínguez –still a complete beginner for the event at that point – fell when she was negotiating the barrier prior to the final water jump while still in the mix for the minor podium medals.
“Times are not important for me, just a reference, but when Galkina arrived in Berlin with ‘only’ a 9:11 season’s best that led me to suspect she might not be in the same top form from previous championships and so I put a question mark on her performance at the Worlds.
“Once into the final, with one lap to go, I realised Galkina was not running comfortably, as she had lost the lead and seemed in trouble. Therefore, I knew then that she was not going to be my toughest rival that day but her fellow Russian Yuliya Zarudneva and Kenya’s Milcah Cheywa instead.”
Although Zarudneva maintained the lead for much of the closing lap, Domínguez drew level over the final barrier and kicked into top gear to run away an unopposed victor clocking a world leader and Spanish record of 9:07.32 to move up to No. 3 on the world all-time list.
“I have been chasing a gold medal at a global championships for so many years and now the long wait is over fortunately.”
Change of event...and also of coach
In the spring of 2009 Domínguez split with his lifetime coach Mariano Díez, who had guided her since she took up athletics 24 years ago. While she refuses to make any comments on the matter, a new coach, in the guise of César Pérez, took charge of her final preparations in the countdown for Berlin. An athlete himself – Pérez was a creditable 8th at the last Europeans championships in Goteborg in the 3000m steeplechase and holds a fine 8:13:06 PB.
“César’s contribution to my gold medal has been vital as he – who managed his coach license in the USA – knows every secret of the steeplechase and has helped me a lot. Especially on the technique over the barriers and more importantly over the water jump which was my weakest point by far last year. Anyway, the Berlin success has been possible thanks to a lot of people, my former coach among them.”
The Olympic medal, still a thorn in her side
However, one of the few remaining accomplishments for Dominguez is an Olympic medal. As she herself relates, “I have not been fortunate at the various Olympics I have taken part in. First, I competed in Atlanta but I was only 20 years of age and could not advance from the 1500m heats. But the greatest disappointment came at the Sidney Olympics when I was in the form of my life having clocked an impressive 8:28.80 for 3000m some weeks prior to the big event, but unfortunately I had a strong cold that left me completely out of action in the 5000m event.
“At the Athens Olympic Games the thing was even worse as my injury prevented me from competing there after what had been my best ever year in 2003, what a shame! And finally, I fell in Beijing with some 200m to go when I was still in the hunt for a medal in the 3000m steeplechase, so it seems I will have to wait until the London Olympics in 2012 to finally fulfill my long-standing dream of becoming an Olympic medallist. In fact, if I had won a medal at the Beijing Olympics, my athletics career would likely have come to an end, at the highest level at least, and athletics would have become something secondary in my life.”
No WR plans for 2010, Barcelona is the only focus
Domínguez has not set major goals for 2010 apart from the Europeans Championships to be held on Spanish soil of Barcelona next summer (27 July / 1 August). Consequently, she has ruled out taking part in the upcoming World Indoor Championships to be staged in Doha in March despite her enviable indoor pedigree.
Asked on her chances of breaking Galkina’s stunning World record of 8:58.81, the blonde champion explains: “I was never especially interested in times, I have always preferred to peak for each year’s major championships to make the podium. Medals remain, records vanish. Anyway, that world record is extremely tough to beat”.
What seems beyond all doubt is the fact the “Lluis Comapnys” stadium in Barcelona – venue of the 1992 Olympic Games - will offer a very eagerly awaited clash between the evergreen Domínguez and Samitova next 30 July; whether both stars are able to contest the event at their top shape, then a new World record might be in prospect.
Rest is a must
Despite being 34 years of age, Domínguez does not feel a single hint of physical decadence; asked on her secret, the ever-smiling ace replies: “There are only two secrets: firstly, hard training and also a lot of rest to recover myself from the work sessions. I usually sleep nine hours at night and also have a daily three-hour nap. I’m convinced I wouldn’t be able to reach my targets without such an amount of rest,” she said, before adding with laughter, “but it’s also true that I spend half of my life asleep!”
It’s easy to guess that Domínguez has plenty of time to dream of an Olympic medal in London 2012.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF