Spanish athletics is mourning the death of 24 year old long jumper Julieta Gallego, who was killed in a catastrophic high speed train collision in Urda, Toledo. The accident claimed the lives of 69 people when two high speed trains collided along the line connecting Madrid to southern Andalusia.
Gallego was a member of the AD Sprint club in Madrid and was widely recognized as one of the rising talents in Spanish track and field. Her career peak included a 4th place finish in the national under 23 long jump championship final, where she recorded a jump of 5.90 meters on two of her six attempts.
During that national final, Gallego finished just 14 centimeters short of the podium. Tesi Ebosele won the event with a jump of 6.50 meters, followed by Evelyn Yankey in 2nd place with 6.09 meters, and Carmen Rosales in 3rd place with 6.04 meters.
Following the confirmation of her death, the AD Sprint club issued a statement expressing profound grief over the loss of their athlete and extending support to her family. The club announced that it will hold 2 minutes of silence across its two sports academies to honor Gallego and all victims of the Urda disaster.
"You will always be part of our Sprint family," the AD Sprint club stated in a public message.
The Royal Spanish Athletics Federation also released an official statement on social media confirming the loss of the young athlete and offering condolences to her relatives, friends, and teammates.
"There are blows that hit deep in the heart of the athletics family," Spanish Athletics Federation President Raul Chapado stated to the ABC newspaper. "Today sport mourns the death of Julieta, an entire life ahead of her that was cut short so unfairly."
The collision in Urda marks the 2nd fatal rail accident on the Madrid Andalusia corridor within less than a year. Emergency services and railway investigators remain on site as authorities continue to process the scene and identify all 69 victims of the tragedy.
