Portuguese race walker
Vera Santos
 Vera Santos in 2013 |
| Personal information |
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| Born | (1981-12-03)3 December 1981 (age 43)
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| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft4+1⁄2 in) |
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| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) |
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| Sport |
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| Country |  Portugal |
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| Sport | Athletics |
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Event | 20km Race Walk |
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Vera Lúcia Montez dos Santos (born 3 December 1981) is aPortugueserace walker.
She began racing at the senior international level in 2002, taking part in the2002 European Athletics Championships. Her first major medal was a silver at the2003 European Athletics U23 Championships and she went on to compete at that year'sWorld Championships in Athletics. Santos finished 15th at the2005 World Championships but managed a silver at the2005 Summer Universiade. She won the bronze at the2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup and then went on to finish ninth in a then personal best time at the2008 Beijing Olympics later that year. She put in the highest-ranking performance at the2009 World Championships, taking fifth place.
Santos won her first national racewalking title in 2005 and became a two-time national champion in 2010 with a win at theMeeting de Marcha Atlética da Cidade de Olhao.[1] She took another victory on home turf soon after, winning theGrande Premio Internacional en Marcha Atletica inRio Maior. She led the race throughout, holding off China'sLi Yanfei, and after the win she beganaltitude training to prepare for the upcoming World Race Walking Cup.[2] She took her third circuit win of the year at theCoppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni.[3] She competed at the2012 Summer Olympics.[4]
In 2014, she set a new personal best of 1:28:02 at theWorld Race Walking Cup inTaicang, finishing in 11th place.[4]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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| Representing Portugal |
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| 1998 | World Junior Championships | Annecy, France | 29th | 5000 m | 24:33.63 |
| 2000 | European Race Walking Cup (U20) | Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany | 8th | 10 km | 47:22 |
| World Junior Championships | Santiago, Chile | 5th | 10,000 m | 47:11.18 |
| 2001 | European U23 Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 12th | 20 km | 1:35:51 |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 17th | 20 km | 1:37:19 |
| World Race Walking Cup | Turin, Italy | 36th | 20 km | 1:37:18 |
| 2003 | European U23 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 2nd | 20 km | 1:35:18 |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 15th | 20 km | 1:32:43 |
| 2004 | World Race Walking Cup | Naumburg, Germany | 36th | 20 km | 1:37:39 |
| 2005 | European Race Walking Cup | Miskolc, Hungary | 7th | 20 km | 1:31:58 |
| 1st | Team - 20 km | 25 pts |
| World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 15th | 20 km | 1:32:17 |
| Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 2nd | 20 km | 1:33:54 |
| 2006 | World Race Walking Cup | A Coruña, Spain | 27th | 20 km | 1:33:54 |
| European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 8th | 20 km | 1:30:41 |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 11th | 20 km | 1:34:28 |
| 2008 | World Race Walking Cup | Cheboksary, Russia | 3rd | 20 km | 1:28:17 |
| Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 9th | 20 km | 1:28:14 |
| 2009 | European Race Walking Cup | Metz, France | — | 20 km | DQ |
| World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 5th | 20 km | 1:30:35 |
| 2010 | World Race Walking Cup | Chihuahua, Mexico | 2nd | 20 km | 1:32:06 |
| European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 6th | 20 km | 1:30:52 |
| 2011 | European Race Walking Cup | Olhão, Portugal | — | 20 km | DNF |
| 2012 | World Race Walking Cup | Saransk, Russia | 17th | 20 km | 1:33:08 |
| Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 49th | 20 km | 1:35:51 |
| 2013 | European Race Walking Cup | Dudince, Slovakia | 10th | 20 km | 1:32:54 |
| 2nd | Team - 20 km | 23 pts |
| World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 17th | 20 km | 1:31:36 |
| 2014 | World Race Walking Cup | Taicang, China | 11th | 20 km | 1:28:02 |
| 2015 | European Race Walking Cup | Murcia, Spain | 13th | 20 km | 1:30:30 |
| 3rd | Team - 20 km | 38 pts |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 21st | 20 km | 1:34:01 |
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