Inês Henriques, born in Rio Maior, became World Champion and world record holder of the 50km race walking at the World Championships held in the beginning of August in London.
This historical milestone for Portuguese sport was achieved by an exceptional athlete born in Rio Maior 37 years ago. Inês grew together with the Rio Maior Sport Centre, where she practically did all her training as an athlete, having accompanied the evolution of our Sport Centre since it was established more than 3 decades ago. Throughout these years, and especially now as a world champion, Inês and her coach Jorge Miguel have greatly contributed to the international publicity and prestige of Rio Maior and its Sports Complex.
She has always been trained by Jorge Miguel and she has always represented her home club, the Clube de Natação de Rio Maior, in addition to the many times she has worn the colours of the national team in many European and World Championships, and also in the Olympics in Athens 2004, London 2012, and Rio 2016. The decision made by her and her coach to compete in the 50km race walking was a risky move, but in the end it was proved to be a great choice. Before this brilliant result achieved on 13 August in London, in the beginning of this year she has already beaten the world record of 50km race walking in the city of Porto de Mós with a time of 4:08:25, in the first year this distance became part of the official IAAF program for female athletes.
Last Monday, on the 4th September, Inês Henriques, and coach Jorge Miguel were honoured by the Municipality of Rio Maior in a ceremony where many important figures of Portuguese sport attended, including Joao Paulo Rebelo, Secretary of Sports.