By Oliver McIntyre
Three-time Paralympics judo champion Carmen Herrera Gómez, from Alhaurín de la Torre, announced her retirement at age 41 last week.
The severely sight-impaired Herrera, who won gold medals in her 70-kilo weight class at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, the 2008 Games in Beijing and the 2012 Games in London, was described last week by local officials as “Alhaurín de la Torre’s best athlete ever”.
In addition to her Paralympics achievements, she has won more than 200 medals in a nearly 20-year career, competing not only in events for sight-impaired athletes but in able-bodied competitions as well.
Among her titles in sight-impaired competitions are two world championships, three European championships and 16 Spanish championships. In 2011 she placed fifth in her weight category in the overall (able-bodied) Spanish championship.
