Lurdes Gloria Manuel
Lurdes Gloria Manuel during the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Czech |
| Born | 12 July 2005 Ostrava, Czech Republic |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Sprint |
| Coached by | Laurent Meuwly |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | 200 m : 23.63 (Prague, 2024) 300 m: 37.31 (Prague, 2024) AU20R 400 m: 50.52 (Rome, 2024) Indoors 400 m: 50.76 (Toruń, 2026) |
Medal record | |
Lurdes Gloria Manuel (born 12 July 2005) is a Czech sprinter. She is the reigning World Indoor Champion over 400 metres having won the title at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships. In 2024, she became Czech national indoor champion over 200 metres and set a European U20 indoor record over 300 metres, and became 2024 World U20 Champion over 400 metres. She won a bronze medal with the Czech women's 4 × 400 metres relay team at the 2025 European Indoor Championships.[1]
Biography
She was a silver medalist in the 400 metres at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem.[2]
At the Czech Championships in 2023 she finished second with a personal best of 51.23, a Czech age-group record.[3][4] She won gold in the 400 metres at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem.[5][6] At the same championships she was a bronze medalist in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay.[7]
2024
In January 2024, she set a new European U20 indoor record over 300 metres in Prague.[8][9] In February 2024, she became Czech national indoor champion over 200 metres in Ostrava.[10]
In May 2024, she lowered her own national under-20 record as she ran 50.59 for the 400 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike event to meet the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[11][12] She lowered her personal best to 50.52 seconds in placing fourth overall in the final of the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome on 10 June 2024.[13]
She competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics over 400 metres in August 2024, reaching the semi-final.[14]
She qualified fastest for the final of the 400 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru and went on to win gold in the final with a time of 51.29 seconds.[15][16]
She was named "Junior Sportsperson of the year" at the Czech Republic's 2024 Sportsperson of the Year awards.[17]
2025
From February 2025, Manuel began to be coached by Laurent Meuwly in his stable of athletes including Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver.[18] She ran an indoor personal best of 51.19 seconds at the Copernicus Cup on 16 February 2025.[19] She was selected for the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Appeldoorn, Netherlands.[20] She won a bronze medal with the Czech women's 4 × 400 metres relay team at the Championships.[21]
2026: Indoor World Champion
After returning from injury which saw her miss the 2025 outdoors season, she opened 2026 with an indoor personal best of 51.12 seconds for the 400 metres in Ostrava on 3 February 2026, her first race since the previous May.[22][23] She set a new personal best of 51.03 seconds competing in Metz on 8 February.[24] On 1 March, she won the 200 metres at the 2026 Czech Indoor Athletics Championships.[25] On 21 March 2026, Manuel won gold in the 400 metres at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń with a new personal best of 50.76 seconds.[26] In doing so at the age of 20 years-old, she became the youngest ever winner of the title at the Championships.[27]
Personal life
Manuel was born and grew up in the Czech Republic; her father is from Angola and her mother is from Russia. She has a younger brother, Christian Teca, and younger sister, Angela Linda. She is a member of TJ VS Tábor. Her nickname is Lu.[28][29]
References
- ^ "Lurdes Gloria Manuel". World Athletics. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Tucker, Craig (15 July 2022). "Charlotte Henrich from Canterbury defies odds to win European Under-18 400m title in Jerusalem". Kent online. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Novotný, Milan (24 January 2024). "Lu se pokusí o olympijský limit. Jsem na sebe zvědavá, říká česká rekordmanka". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Ten storylines to follow at Jerusalem 2023". European Athletics. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Angelina Topic wins an unprecedented high jump/long jump double at Jerusalem 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships". Africasport.net. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Rising Stars: Five Outstanding Athletes Who Shined at the European Athletics U20 Championships". Watch Athletics. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "European Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Open public competition Atletická hala Otakara Jandery, Praha". World Athletics. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Úterní mládežnické zápisy v českých halách". Atletika.cz (in Czech). 24 January 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Czech Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 17 February 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Ostrava results 400m". Results.onlinesystem.cz. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Duplantis and Caudery defy conditions, De Grasse does double in Ostrava". World Athletics. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Women 400m Results - European Athletics Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "Women's 400m Hurdles Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Reid and Walaza win world U20 100m titles in Lima". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Almayew sets steeplechase championship record to win world U20 title in Lima". World Athletics. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Sportovcem roku 2024 se stal kajakář Dostál, mezi kolektivy kraloval hokejový národní tým". iROZHLAS.cz (in Czech). Czech Radio. Czech News Agency. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ Broadbent, Chris (19 Nov 2025). "Czech starlet Manuel sets sights on Birmingham 2026". European Athletics. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "Tsegay rebounds with No.2 all time indoor 1500m in Torun". World Athletics. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Defending medalists and promising debutants. The Czech nomination for the European Indoor Championships includes 26 athletes". Idnesit. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Broadbent, Chris (March 9, 2025). "Five gold medals! Super Sunday as Dutch close Apeldoorn 2025 with glorious finale". European Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ "Czech Indoor Gala: World Leads, European Record and Nine Meeting Marks Fall in Sold-Out Ostrava". Watch Athletics. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 Feb 2026.
- ^ "History repeats as Crestan and Molnar headline record spree in Ostrava". World Athletics. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Furlani and Saraboyukov leap 8.39m in Metz, while Schrub and Bol impress on the track". World Athletics. 8 Feb 2026. Retrieved 8 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Czech Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ "Atletická senzace! Úchvatná Manuel získala pro Česko zlato na halovém MS". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Economia. Czech News Agency. 21 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ Broadbent, Chris (21 Mar 2026). "Czechia's Manuel becomes youngest ever world indoor 400m champion". European Athletics. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ^ "Čas je víc než výsledek, olympiádu bere osmnáctiletá běžkyně jako sen". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ Hašek, Martin. "Zázrak Lu! Česká čtvrtkařka (16) s krví z Angoly rychle dohání hvězdy". Blesk (in Czech). Czech News Center. Retrieved 28 May 2024.