[Sports] 'Ruth Beitia, jump to the heights', the story of a legendary athlete

[G h o s t l y.]

Coinciding with the third anniversary of Ruth Beitia's retirement, 'Ruth Beitia, jump to the heights' arrives in bookstores. It is a book written by Karel López (Ediciones Cydonia) in which the successes of the best Spanish athlete of all time, a true legend of the sport, are compiled, with the collaboration of great connoisseurs of this sport and of vital people Throughout her sports career, the best sports moments of the Cantabrian jumper are relived, with a personal look and sports admiration towards an athlete, without a doubt, exemplary.

A necessary journalistic compilation that does justice to a record that very few athletes can boast of. The book is divided into 15 + 1 jumps in which the medals achieved by Ruth Beitia in the Olympic Games, World and European Championships are radiographed: 16 in total, one of them late. About 200 pages in which the best moments and anecdotes of a unique athlete are collected. Karel López currently works in the marketing department of the Real Sociedad, also helping in the athletics section of the club. You know this sport almost like the back of your own hand. He was an athlete ("frustrated long distance runner and decent sprinter", he says) and collaborates with different media and sports organizations such as El Diario Vasco, the San Sebastián Marathon or the RFEA. The author of the book explains that he met the protagonist of it at the Olympic Village in London, in 2012, when Ramón Cid sneaked him into a hostile area and the Cantabrian volunteered to show him the ins and outs of a unique place. There begins the story of a highly recommended story.

The prologue is written by the journalist and ex-athlete Martí Perarnau, one of the men who best knows how to explain athletics in general and the high jump in particular. His vision of Ruth and this discipline is unique. They also talk about Ruth Beitia, their coach (and her 50%) Ramón Torralbo; Ramón Cid, national athletics coach; the athletes Bruno Hortelano, Carolina Marín, Saleta Fernández, Manolo Martínez, Arturo Ortiz, Marta Mendia, Loles Vives or Carlota Castrejana; great connoisseurs of this sport such as Raúl Chapado, president of the RFEA, Gerardo Cebrián, Miguel Vélez, Ignacio Mansilla or José María Odriozola; and journalists such as Carlos Arribas (El País), Begoña Fleitas, (BRAND), Tomás Campos (BRAND), Antxon Blanco (El Diario Vasco), Fernando Miñana, Sergio Heredia (La Vanguardia), Carlos Domingo, Álex Calabuig (Corredor), Alberto Hernández (Runner), Miguel Olmeda, Xavier Gonzálvez-Amat (Mundo Deportivo), Igor Barcia (El Correo), María Escario (RTVE), Pedro Gabilondo, Alfredo Varona, Miguel Calvo, Javier Sánchez (El Mundo) and José Luis López (Cadena Ser and Movistar TV).