The best Mexican athletes in history
On October 12, another anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Day, here are some of the names that have been engraved in the history of Mexican sports and have left a legacy.
Throughout history, Mexican sport has produced very important figures in different disciplines. Men and women have excelled in world championships, Olympic Games, or being a reference in the most important teams of the world. On October 12, on another anniversary of Hispanic Day, we bring you some of the names that have been recorded in the history of the Mexican sport and have left a legacy.
Julio César Chávez (Boxing)
He is considered by many, in statistical terms, as the best boxer that Mexico has given (and one of the 10 best in the history of boxing). Chávez won world titles in three different divisions: Superweight, Lightweight, and Superlight.
Fernando Valenzuela (Baseball)
He played in the Major Leagues for 17 seasons, from 1980 to 1997, with six teams, first with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the best statistics pitcher from the 1981 to 1986 season. He was nominated by the National League to the All-Star Game each season and won 21 games in the 1986 season.
Hugo Sánchez (Soccer)
In 2000, he was declared by the IFFHS as the best player of the 20th century in CONCACAF1 and number 26 in the world. He was a scorer and figure of Real Madrid in the 1980s, where he coincided with the famous Quinta del Buitre; they highlighted their ten titles won in Spain (9 with the meringues and one with Atlético de Madrid), four trophies as merengue and one with the Colchoneros and a Golden Boot as a white scorer.
Rafael Márquez (Soccer)
He was an international player with the Mexican National Team from 1997 to Russia in 2018. He is the third player with the highest number of international representations with 148; in World Cups, he holds the shared record of five disputed editions, all as captain. He is the only Mexican who has won the Champions League, two with Barcelona.
Ana Guevara (Athletics)
World champion and Olympic medalist. She ranked first on the list of the International Athletics Federation in the 400 meters. She won the Golden League in 2002. She is considered the best Mexican in the history of her specialty.
Lorena Ochoa (Golf)
She won 27 victories on the LPGA Tour, the highest professional women's golf circuit. She is considered the best Mexican golfer of all time, as well as one of the 50 best players of all time, occupying 22nd place on the list.
Joaquín Capilla (Diving)
Considered one of the best athletes in our country in history. He is the highest Mexican medalist in the Olympic Games of all time with four medals and the first to win a medal in more than one Olympic edition.
María del Rosario Espinoza (Taekwondo)
Olympic champion in Beijing 2008. She is the second Mexican athlete, after Ernesto Canto, who wins all the competitions of the so-called Olympic cycle, only that unlike the first, Espinoza did not do it in the same period.
Soraya Jiménez (Weightlifting)
Specialist in weightlifting, Soraya won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, becoming the first Mexican woman to achieve it.
Mil Máscaras or Thousand Masks (Wrestling)
Mil Mascaras is considered one of the greatest figures of Mexican wrestling and one of the greatest exponents of pankration alongside El Santo and Blue Demon. He is part of the WWE Hall of Fame. He was the first fighter originally from Mexico and masked in receiving this commemoration. He is also remembered for being the first gladiator to fight at Madison Square Garden in incognito.
