Наиде Гомес: Путь португальской легкоатлетки

Portuguese heptathlete and long jumper (born 1979)

Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes OIH (born 20 November 1979) is a former Portuguese heptathlete and long jumper. She also competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At club level, she represented Sporting CP.

Naide Gomes started competing under the flag of her birth country São Tomé and Príncipe and represented it at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, though she has lived in Portugal since she was 11 years old. At the Sydney Olympics, Gomes was the São Tomé flag carrier in the opening ceremony. Before changing nationality she set the current São Tomé and Príncipe records in 100 metres hurdles, long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin throw and heptathlon. She gained Portuguese citizenship in 2001, and has since represented Portugal at major international events. Gomes has won the gold medal for long jump at the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, raising the national record to 6.89 m.

In Madrid, she became the first Portuguese athlete ever to reach the seven metres distance in the long jump, by jumping 7.01m. In Valencia she won gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2008, by jumping 7.00m. On 22 July, Naide Gomes was the winner of the IAAF Super Grand Prix DN Galan, Stockholm, Sweden, with a new national record of 7.04 m.

On 29 July, at the IAAF Super Grand Prix Herculis, Monte Carlo, Monaco, she jumped 7.12 m, a new national record and 2008 world's best mark. On 19 August, at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China, a top favorite for the gold medal, in peak physical condition and having dominated the season, Gomes unexpectedly fouled on her first two attempts and then stutter stepped on her final try jumping a mere 6.29 m, thus failing to qualify to the final. She won the long jump gold medal at the 2009 Lusophony Games with a jump of 6.74 m.

Representing 1998Ibero American ChampionshipsLisbon, Portugal6thHigh jump1.75 m1999All Africa GamesJohannesburg, South Africa5thHeptathlon4974 pts2000Ibero American ChampionshipsRio de Janeiro, Brazil2ndHeptathlon5463 ptsOlympic GamesSydney, Australia36th (h)100 m H14.43 sRepresenting 2002European Indoor ChampionshipsVienna, Austria 2ndPentathlon4595 ptsEuropean ChampionshipsMunich, Germany10thLong jump6.23 m18thHeptathlon5142 pts2003World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom5thPentathlon4476 ptsHypo Meeting Götzis, Austria4thHeptathlon6120 ptsUniversiadeDaegu, South Korea16th (q)Long jump5.86 m2004World Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary 1stPentathlon4759 ptsIbero American ChampionshipsHuelva, Spain4thLong jump6.36 m11thShot put13.80 m11thJavelin throw38.46 mOlympic GamesAthens, Greece13thHeptathlon6151 pts2005European Indoor ChampionshipsMadrid, Spain 1stLong jump6.70 mWorld ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland17th (q)Long jump6.42 m7thHeptathlon6189 ptsUniversiadeİzmir, Turkey 2ndLong jump6.56 m2006World Indoor ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia 2ndLong jump6.76 mEuropean ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden 2ndLong jump6.84 m2007European Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom 1stLong jump6.89 mWorld ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan4thLong Jump6.87 m2008World Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain 1stLong jump7.00 mOlympic GamesBeijing, China31st (q)Long jump6.29 m2009Lusophony GamesLisbon, Portugal 1stLong jump6.74 m (w)European Team Championships SuperleagueLeiria, Portugal 1stLong jump6.83 mWorld ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany3rdLong Jump6.77 m2010World Indoor ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar 2ndLong jump6.67 mEuropean ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain 2ndLong jump6.92 m2011European Indoor ChampionshipsParis, France 2ndLong jump6.79 mWorld ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea10thLong Jump6.26 m

On 26 March 2015, Naide Gomes announced her retirement in a special news conference with close friends and the long term coach, at age 35. Main reasons appointed the prolonged injuries she is suffering since 2013, that took her away from the tracks, and the need of another surgery. She said to be very proud of her career, after winning 11 international medals, though failing at Olympic level, and wants to continue to be close to athletes, either as a coach or as physiotherapist. She also announced she's expecting her first child.