Maria Lourdes Mutola (Mozambique)
Mutola, born in 1972 in Maputo, is the only Mozambican athlete in history, including both men and women, to have won a world or Olympic title. She is also the only athlete in history to have won four world or Olympic titles over 800 meters. She specializes in mid-stance, including 800 meters. Mutola won the Olympic title in 2000, three titles at the World Open-Air Championships, as well as seven victories at the World Indoor Championships. She also won five titles at the African Championships, three at the African Games, and two at the Commonwealth Games. The Queen of the 800m further won two world records – 1,000 meters in Brussels (1995) and Stockholm (1999), two 800-meter world championships in 1993 and 2001, first place in the 800-meter World Cup final Meters in 2001 in Lisbon, and a gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games (2000).
