Vera Lúcia Montez dos Santos (born 3 December 1981) is a Portuguese race walker.
Career She began racing at the senior international level in 2002, taking part in the 2002 European Athletics Championships. Her first major medal was a silver at the 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships and she went on to compete at that year's World Championships in Athletics. Santos finished 15th at the 2005 World Championships but managed a silver at the 2005 Summer Universiade. She won the bronze at the 2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup and then went on to finish ninth in a then personal best time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics later that year. She put in the highest-ranking performance at the 2009 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 the Meeting de Marcha Atlética da Cidade de Olhao.Fernandes, Antonio, Manuel (2010-02-21). Santos beats the conditions in Olhão – IAAF Race Walking Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-22. She took another victory on home turf soon after, winning the Grande Premio Internacional en Marcha Atletica in Rio Maior. She led the race throughout, holding off China's Li Yanfei, and after the win she began altitude training to prepare for the upcoming World Race Walking Cup.Fernandes, António Manuel (2010-04-11). Santos and Tysse take Rio Maior wins – IAAF Race Walking Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-11. She took her third circuit win of the year at the Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni.Sampaolo, Diego (2010-05-02). Schwazer and Santos dominate in Sesto San Giovanni - IAAF Race Walking Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-05-02. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2014, she set a new personal best of 1:28:02 at the World Race Walking Cup in Taicang, finishing in 11th place.
Achievements Representing 1998World Junior ChampionshipsAnnecy, France29th5000 m24:33.632000European Race Walking Cup (U20)Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany8th10 km47:22World Junior ChampionshipsSantiago, Chile5th10,000 m47:11.182001European U23 ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands12th20 km1:35:512002European Championships Munich, Germany 17th20 km1:37:19World Race Walking CupTurin, Italy36th20 km1:37:182003European U23 ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 2nd20 km1:35:18World ChampionshipsParis, France15th20 km1:32:432004World Race Walking CupNaumburg, Germany36th20 km1:37:392005European Race Walking CupMiskolc, Hungary7th20 km1:31:581stTeam - 20 km25 ptsWorld Championships Helsinki, Finland15th20 km1:32:17Universiadeİzmir, Turkey 2nd20 km1:33:542006World Race Walking CupA Coruña, Spain27th20 km1:33:54European ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden 8th20 km1:30:412007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan 11th20 km1:34:282008World Race Walking Cup Cheboksary, Russia 3rd20 km1:28:17Olympic GamesBeijing, China9th20 km1:28:142009European Race Walking CupMetz, France—20 kmDQWorld ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany5th20 km1:30:352010World Race Walking CupChihuahua, Mexico2nd20 km1:32:06European ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain6th20 km1:30:522011European Race Walking CupOlhão, Portugal —20 kmDNF2012World Race Walking Cup Saransk, Russia17th20 km1:33:08Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom49th20 km1:35:512013European Race Walking CupDudince, Slovakia10th20 km1:32:542ndTeam - 20 km23 ptsWorld ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia17th20 km1:31:362014World Race Walking Cup Taicang, China11th20 km1:28:022015European Race Walking CupMurcia, Spain13th20 km1:30:303rdTeam - 20 km38 ptsWorld Championships Beijing, China21st20 km1:34:01
References
External links
sports-reference