Naide Gomes Explained
Enezaide[1] do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes OIH (born 20 November 1979) is a former Portuguese heptathlete and long jumper. She also competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At club level, she represented Sporting CP.
Biography
Naide Gomes started competing under the flag of her birth country São Tomé and Príncipe and represented it at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, though she has lived in Portugal since she was 11 years old. At the Sydney Olympics, Gomes was the São-Tomé flag carrier in the opening ceremony. Before changing nationality she set the current São Tomé and Príncipe records in 100 metres hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin throw and heptathlon.[2]
She gained Portuguese citizenship in 2001,[3] and has since represented Portugal at major international events.
Gomes has won the gold medal for long jump at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, raising the national record to 6.89 m.
In Madrid, she became the first Portuguese athlete ever to reach the seven metres distance in the long jump, by jumping 7.01m. In Valencia she won gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2008, by jumping 7.00m.
On 22 July, Naide Gomes was the winner of the IAAF Super Grand Prix DN Galan, Stockholm, Sweden, with a new national record of 7.04 m.
On 29 July, at the IAAF Super Grand Prix Herculis, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, she jumped 7.12 m, a new national record and 2008 world's best mark.
On 19 August, at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China, a top-favorite for the gold medal, in peak physical condition and having dominated the season, Gomes unexpectedly fouled on her first two attempts and then stutter-stepped on her final try jumping a mere 6.29 m, thus failing to qualify to the final.
She won the long jump gold medal at the 2009 Lusophony Games with a jump of 6.74 m.[4]
Achievements
| Representing |
|---|
| 1998 | Ibero-American Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 6th | High jump | 1.75 m |
| 1999 | All-Africa Games | Johannesburg, South Africa | 5th | Heptathlon | 4974 pts |
| 2000 | Ibero-American Championships | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | Heptathlon | 5463 pts |
| Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 36th (h) | 100 m H | 14.43 s |
| Representing |
|---|
| 2002 | European Indoor Championships | Vienna, Austria | 2nd | Pentathlon | 4595 pts |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 10th | Long jump | 6.23 m |
| 18th | Heptathlon | 5142 pts |
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 5th | Pentathlon | 4476 pts |
| Götzis, Austria | 4th | Heptathlon | 6120 pts |
| Universiade | Daegu, South Korea | 16th (q) | Long jump | 5.86 m |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 1st | Pentathlon | 4759 pts |
| Ibero-American Championships | Huelva, Spain | 4th | Long jump | 6.36 m |
| 11th | Shot put | 13.80 m |
| 11th | Javelin throw | 38.46 m |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 13th | Heptathlon | 6151 pts |
| 2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 1st | Long jump | 6.70 m |
| World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 17th (q) | Long jump | 6.42 m |
| 7th | Heptathlon | 6189 pts |
| Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 2nd | Long jump | 6.56 m |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 2nd | Long jump | 6.76 m |
| European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2nd | Long jump | 6.84 m |
| 2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | Long jump | 6.89 m |
| World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 4th | Long Jump | 6.87 m |
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 1st | Long jump | 7.00 m |
| Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 31st (q) | Long jump | 6.29 m |
| 2009 | Lusophony Games | Lisbon, Portugal | 1st | Long jump | 6.74 m (w) |
| European Team Championships Superleague | Leiria, Portugal | 1st | Long jump | 6.83 m |
| World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | Long Jump | 6.77 m |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 2nd | Long jump | 6.67 m |
| European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 2nd | Long jump | 6.92 m |
| 2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | Long jump | 6.79 m |
| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 10th | Long Jump | 6.26 m | |
Retirement
On 26 March 2015, Naide Gomes announced her retirement in a special news conference with close friends and the long term coach, at age 35.[5] [6] Main reasons appointed the prolonged injuries she is suffering since 2013, that took her away from the tracks, and the need of another surgery. She said to be very proud of her career, after winning 11 international medals, though failing at Olympic level, and wants to continue to be close to athletes, either as a coach or as physiotherapist. She also announced she's expecting her first child.[7]
See also
Notes and References
- Enezaide and not Enezenaide as it often appears published. See decree granting Portuguese citizenship to Ms Gomes.
- http://www.athlerecords.net/Records/AFRIQUE/PLEINAIR/recsaotome.txt São Tomé and Príncipe athletics records
- The decree granting Portuguese citizenship to Ms Gomes was signed on 4 May 2001 published in the Portuguese official gazette (Diário da República) on 22 May 2001. See here, page 8600, second column.
- Fernandes, António Manuel (2009-07-14). Évora, another title in Lisbon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-23.
- News: Naide Gomes anuncia fim de carreira. 27 March 2015. Noticias ao Minuto. 26 March 2015. pt. Naide Gomes announces the end of career.
- News: Naide Gomes anuncia final de carreira. 27 March 2015. Diario de Noticias newspaper. 26 March 2015. pt. Naide Gomes announces end of career.
- News: Naide Gomes anuncia final de carreira. 27 March 2015. Rádio Renascença. 26 March 2015. pt. Naide Gomes announces end of career and reveals to be pregnant.
