Spanish cyclist
María Mayalen Noriega
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| Nationality | Spanish |
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| Born | (1982-02-19) 19 February 1982 (age 42)
Mexico |
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Sport | Cycling |
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María Mayalen Noriega is a Spanish cyclist who competes in regular cycling and Paralympic cycling as a pilot for Josefa Benítez Guzman, with whom she won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. She has also served as a guide for Susana Rodríguez in the paratriathlon.
Personal
Noriega was born on 19 February 1982 in Mexico.[1][2][3] Her ancestry is from the Catalan region of Spain,[4] and she now lives in Mataró, Barcelona.[2]
In 2013, she was awarded the silver Real Orden al Mérito Deportivo.[5][6] In 2013, she had a broken scapula following a fall after a chain on her bicycle broke. This forced her to sit out of competitive sport for a few weeks.[3] According to one of the sportspeople Noriega has been a guide for, she loves competition.[7]
Swimming
Her first sport was swimming.[3] As a youngster, Noriega set national records in swimming in Mexico.[3]
Cycling
Noriega is a cyclist who competes individually, and as a pilot for vision impaired cyclists.[5][8]
At the 2011 Stage National TT Championships Spain, Noriega finished fifth.[8] She competed in the 2012 Spanish track cycling championships, and was one of the underdogs.[9] In January 2012, she competed at the Ciutat de Palma Trophy IV as a pilot for Josefa Benítez Guzman.[10] From the Catalan region of Spain, she was a recipient of a 2012 Plan ADOP scholarship.[11]
Noriega competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in cycling[5][12] as the pilot for Josefa Benítez Guzman. The pair won a silver medal at the Games in a road event.[13][14][15][16] Following the London Games, she had an intention of focusing less on being a pilot and more on her individual cycling career.[3]
In June 2013, Noriega competed in the Spanish national championships,[4] finishing second in the women's road race.[8] In 2013, she won the Girona City Cyclocross event in the women's category.[17]
Noriega has been a member of the Bizkaia–Durango cycling team in 2013 and 2014.[1][18]
Triathlon
In 2012, Noriega competed in the Paratriathlon World Championships as the guide for Susana Rodríguez. She served as Rodríguez's guide for the 2013 Para-triathlon World Championships in London.[7] Going into the event, she said that she was unsure if she would be able to match Rodríguez's stroke.[3]
References
External links
