Paris 2024: who is Alegna González, the Mexican who shone in the debut of the mixed relay race

The way Alegna climbed the rankings generated applause from the Mexican public (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games launched a new type of running competition, the mixed relay race, in which Mexico had the performance of Alegna González and Ever Palma.

The Trocadero Square was the venue for the competition, and the Mexicans gave their all, finishing in fifth place. Although they did not make it to the podium, they did get an Olympic diploma. The Mexican couple had a time of 2:52:38 hrs.

Throughout the mixed relay race, Alegna González dazzled fans of the competition, as well as specialists, as the Chihuahua native gained several places and was briefly in the podium zone.

The way Alegna climbed positions generated applause from the Mexican public. In the first change, Palma handed her the change in 13th place and she climbed 10 places and returned it in third position, a performance that earned the public’s recognition. Even though she slowed down due to problems with the laces in her tennis shoes, she recovered and maintained the pace.

Her full name is Alegna Aryday González Muñoz, she was born on January 2, 1999 in Ojinaga, Chihuahua (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

But, by the end, she was unable to make a breakthrough and only moved up two places, Ever Palma came in seventh and she closed in fifth place.

Her full name is Alegna Aryday González Muñoz, she was born on January 2, 1999 in Ojinaga, Chihuahua. She developed a taste and passion for athletics from a very young age, but particularly for race walking.

Like almost all Olympic athletes, he left his family at a very young age to follow national competitions. On his sporting path he met José Ignacio Zamudio, who became his coach.

Alegna González shined at Paris 2024 (REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)

For this reason, she traveled to different states of the country such as Querétaro and Mexico City, places that became her main training and competition venues. She began competing in youth categories, under-20 race walking and national tournaments of the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (CONADE) and international tournaments.

She became a great prospect in Mexican race walking, but at no time did she imagine that her sporting abilities could take her to the Olympic Games, and at one point she did not even feel passion for the discipline.

At 19, she became the youth champion in the 10-kilometer race, was crowned champion at the World Team Race Walking Championships in Ticang, China, and also won gold at the World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland.

The Chihuahua native had to undergo knee surgery, so she stopped for a few months to treat the injury. EFE/ Adriana Thomasa

But the surprise in her career came in 2019 when she left the 10 km and moved to 20 km, with this change in her sporting career she earned her pass to Tokyo 2020. Alegna González became the first Mexican to achieve this in this way, so at 20 years old she was going to live her Olympic experience.

However, the COVID-19 health crisis and an injury complicated her preparation for the Olympic Games. The Chihuahua native had to undergo knee surgery, so she stopped for a few months to treat the injury and recover. She was even away from her loved ones during the surgery.

Already in the recovery process, she was in the company of her family and coach, and managed to recover from this adversity, so she returned to her native Ojinaga to complete her preparation for Tokyo 2020. She prepared there due to the coronavirus health crisis.

When the Olympic Committee confirmed that Tokyo 2020 would take place, Alegna was already prepared. At 22, she participated in her first Olympic Games and competed in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk, finishing in 5th place, a great individual record. Although she did not win a medal in Paris 2024, she will keep her hopes alive for Los Angeles 2028.