Raúl González

Raúl González followed Daniel Bautista as the next Mexican race walking star. A 50 km walk specialist, González took up athletics in 1969 when he enrolled at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León. His first international successes came at the 1971 Central American and Caribbean Championships and the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games, where he won the 10 km track walk bronze and 20 km road walk gold, respectively. In 1977, González won the 50 km event at the IAAF Race Walking World Cup, a feat he repeated in 1981 and 1983 and established himself as the top 50 km walker of the world before the 1980 Olympics by setting two 50 km walk world records in 1978 – 3-45:52 and 3-41:20. But at the 1980 Olympics, González, who had led the 50 km race walk most of the route, had to abandon the race at 30 km. He did finish sixth in the 20 km race walk at the 1980 Olympics.

After finishing fifth in the 50 km walk at the inaugural 1983 World Championships, the high point of González’s career came at the 1984 Olympics, where he won the 50 km walk gold and 20 km walk silver behind fellow countryman Ernesto Canto. At the Pan-American Games, González won the 50 km gold in 1979 and 1983, 50 km walk silver in 1987, and a 20 km walk silver in 1983. He also won 20 km walk silvers at the 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships and 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games. González finished his career after finishing 11th in the 50 km at the 1987 World Championships. He became a successful sports official, serving as director of the National Sports Commission of Mexico from 1988-94 and executive president of the Mexican Professional Baseball League from 2002-04. González was the president of Olmecas de Tabasco baseball club from 2004-06.

Personal Bests: 20kmW – 1-21:49 (1984); 50kmW – 3-41:20 (1978).