Paula Pareto

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Wikipedia

Paula Pareto
Pareto in 2024
Personal information
Full namePaula Belén Pareto
Nickname
La Peque Edit this on Wikidata
Born (1986-01-16) 16 January 1986 (age 40)[1]
San Fernando, Argentina[1]
OccupationJudoka
Height148 cm (4 ft 10 in)[1]
Sport
Country Argentina
SportJudo
Weight class–48 kg
ClubEstudiantes, La Plata[1]
Retired16 September 2021 (2021-09-16)[2]
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesGold (2016)
World Champ.Gold medal – World (2015)
Pan American Champ. (2009, 2011, 2017,
2018, 2019, 2020)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing  Argentina
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2008 Beijing‍–‍48 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Astana‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2014 Chelyabinsk‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2018 Baku‍–‍48 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2011 Guadalajara‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2015 Toronto‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2007 Rio de Janeiro‍–‍48 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2009 Buenos Aires‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2011 Guadalajara‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2017 Panama City‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2018 San José‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2019 Lima‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2020 Guadalajara‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2005 Caguas (PUR)‍–‍44 kg
Silver medal – second place2015 Edmonton‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2016 Havana‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2008 Miami‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2010 San Salvador‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2013 San José‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2014 Guayaquil‍–‍48 kg
World Masters
Silver medal – second place2015 Rabat‍–‍48 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Gold medal – first place2012 Rio de Janeiro‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2019 Ekaterinburg‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2018 Ekaterinburg‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2020 Budapest‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2009 Rio de Janeiro‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2014 Paris‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2014 Tokyo‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2017 Abu Dhabi‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2018 Abu Dhabi‍–‍48 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place2015 Samsun‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2015 Budapest‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2018 Cancún‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2014 Qingdao‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2010 Düsseldorf‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2013 Miami‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2016 Havana‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2017 Zagreb‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place2019 Montreal‍–‍48 kg
South American Games
Gold medal – first place2010 Medellin‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place2014 Santiago‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place2006 Buenos Aires‍–‍48 kg
South American Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2003 Buenos Aires‍–‍44 kg
Silver medal – second place2004 Buenos Aires‍–‍44 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF568
JudoInside.com35243
Updated on 23 May 2023

Paula Belén Pareto (born 16 January 1986) is an Argentine retired[2] judoka and physician.[3][4] She was the flag bearer for her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[5] She was the first Argentinian woman to become Olympic Champion having won gold at the women's 48 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Paula, nicknamed "La Peque" (The small one), was born in San Fernando, Argentina.[1] She lives with her parents in Tigre, close to the capital city. She began swimming at the age of four, and a year later, she took up gymnastics. Her inspiration for judo arose when she was 9, and her younger brother Marco came home from school beaten up. Her father, Aldo, used to practice judo when he was young, so he decided to send Marco to a judo club. Paula was curious and wanted to go too.

Her first judo club was Club San Fernando. She soon won her first tournament, and when she decided to continue practicing judo, she moved to bigger Club Estudiantes de La Plata. First years she competed in the −44 kg division but later moved up to the −48 kg category.

She is a big football fan and plays football with her friends. She had a period when she wanted to play football professionally, but she left the idea to pursue her judo career after that. Her favorite club is Boca Juniors and her home club Estudiantes de La Plata.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, in an interview said that she is single, and her mother Mirta commented that it was like "You are engaged to judo".[6]

Paula has a younger brother named Marco, who supports her on her journeys around world tournaments, and an older sister named Estefanía, who is a psychologist.[7]

She studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires and graduated in March 2014.[8]

In November 2010, Paula was granted the Platinum Konex Award as Argentina's best sportswoman of the last decade. In December 2015, she received the Gold Olimpia Award as the best athlete of the year from her country.

In 2024, Pareto became a member of the International Olympic Committee.[9]

Judo

Pareto won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament. She stood against Pak Ok-song from North Korea, Pak was active the whole match and earned a koka for her activity. The drama unfolded in the last 10 seconds when Pak initiated a technique, but Pareto countered with her own move, a Kuchiki taoshi. Problems arose when the jury counted the technique for Pak, perhaps because she began to move first. In the end, Pak celebrated the medal, and Pareto cried, but her trainer Carlos Denegri lodged an objection, so the jury checked the video. Finally, they agreed that it was Pareto who made the technique (Kuchiki taoshi), and so she took the medal.[10]

Pareto is also very successful in continental games and championships like Pan American Games.

Pareto won the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in August in Astana, Kazakhstan, her first world title. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Pareto defeated Jeong Bo-kyeong to capture an Olympic gold medal.[11]

Achievements

YearTournamentPlaceWeight class
2005Pan American Judo Championships 2ndSuper Extra-Lightweight (−44 kg)
2006Pan American Judo Championships 5thExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2006South American Games 2ndExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007Pan American Judo Championships 5thExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007World Judo Championships 5thExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007Pan American Games 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2008Pan American Judo Championships 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2008Olympic Games 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2009Pan American Judo Championships 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2010South American Games 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2010Pan American Judo Championships 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2011Pan American Judo Championships 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2011Pan American Games 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2012Olympic Games 5thExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2013Pan American Judo Championships 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014South American Games 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014World Judo Championships 2ndExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014Pan American Judo Championships 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015Pan American Judo Championships 2ndExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015Pan American Games 2ndExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015World Judo Championships 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2016Pan American Judo Championships 2ndExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2016Olympic Games 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2017Pan American Judo Championships 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2018Pan American Judo Championships 1stExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2018World Judo Championships 3rdExtra-Lightweight (−48 kg)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Paula Pareto". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Paula Pareto completes her judo mission and retires". JudoInside.com. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Judo at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games: Women's Extra-Lightweight. sports-reference.co
  4. ↑ "Paula Pareto / Ijf.org". ijf.org. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "Judo - PARETO Paula". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "HISTORIA DE MUJERES – Para Ti Online". 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Diario Perfil | PAULA PARETO, BRONCE – Toda la felicidad envuelta en un cuerpo de muñeca". 31 March 2012. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Paula Pareto, Judo Argentino". 11 January 2014. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "IOC Session in Paris elects two new Vice-Presidents and eight IOC Members". Olympics.com. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Judo at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's Extra-Lightweight. sports-reference.com
  11. ↑ Sartori, Hernán (6 August 2016). "Paula Pareto hizo historia en Río y Argentina tiene su primer oro".