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When Julia Paternain crossed the finish line in the women’s marathon at last year’s World Athletics Championships, she had no idea what position she was in – or that she’d just made history.
Julia, who was ranked 288th in the world at the start of the race, finished in third, becoming Uruguay’s first-ever world championship medallist. It was one of the least expected medals of the championships – including for Julia herself. It was only her second-ever marathon, and there wasn’t even a Uruguayan flag in the stadium for the post-race lap of honour.
Now, Julia’s taking on her first season as a fully fledged elite marathon runner, and getting ready to take on the London Marathon – having previously competed in the race’s ‘mini marathon’ as a teenager, when she lived in the UK with her parents.
More than the Score’s Lee James talked to Julia Paternain earlier this month about the road to her surprise medal, how her life has changed since, and what it’s meant for both her and Uruguay. She also tells him about her globetrotting life so far, which has seen her live in Mexico, the UK and now the US, and how she came to realise that running was the sport for her. She also explains why, despite reaching the podium at the World Championships, she’s determined to keep her goals realistic in the sport.
Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From Formula One to netball, MMA to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We’ve got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Winter Olympic champion Elana Meyers Taylor, trailblazing Samoan athlete Alex Rose and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we’ve got the expertise of the BBC’s top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.
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