Latin America's Greatest Sporting Legend - Maria Paris (Costa Rica)

id="body">Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1974, where she
Latin American Swim Queen!picked up a total of three gold medals. Since then, she
From 1974 until the early 1980s, the most populardid not win the golds by accident. Miss París,
athlete in Central America was a woman. Her name:accompanied by Francisco "Frank" Rivas (the National
María del Milagro París, a notable sportswomanCoach of Costa Rica's Swimming Team), had worked
from Costa Rica. Without a doubt she put Costa Ricavery hard in the last three years. Like Silvia and Claudia
and Latin America on the map when she competed inPoll Arehns, she had trained in the Cariari Club, one of
the Summer Olympics (Montreal 1976 and Moscowthe most famous Costa Rican swimming clubs.
1980) and World Championships (Cali 1974). ReveredAfter being selected to compete for the Costa Rican
and respected by Costa Rica, one of the most stableOlympic Team in 1974, París led a national delegation
and prosperous republics in the Western Hemisphere,to the FINA World Championships in Cali, Colombia. In
she has been an inspiration by Silvia and Claudia Poll,that event, she finished fifth in the women's 100m
who were the best athletes -male or female- in Latinbutterfly. Apart from the international titles, she also
America in the late 1980s and mid-1990s.broke several national and regional records between
1980 was one of the best years for sport in Costa1974 and 1982.
Rica. Why? As one of Latin America's greatestAfter María's participation in the 1980 Olympics, she
female swimmers during the 1970s and early 80s,had competed in the Central American and Caribbean
Costa Rica's María París became the firstGames in Havana (Cuba). In these Games, she won
swimmer in Central America to reach the finals of antwo women's swimming golds (100m butterfly and
Olympic event when she qualified for the finals at the200m medley). In addition, she picked up a bronze in
1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. After severalthe 200m butterfly.
months of hard work and preparation, she, who wasAfter her retirement as an athlete in 1984, an Olympic
the best Costa Rican performer at the 1976 Montrealyear, she was succeeded by Silvia Poll, a prominent
Olympics, came in seventh place in the women'sswimmer between 1986 and 1992. In addition to her
100-meter butterfly.unique discipline, María París will be remembered
María del Milagro París -- Born to Swimas the first female swimmer in Latin America to reach
Her career as an international athlete began in the XIIthe finals of a World Championship.
Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo