Maria de Lurdes Mutola, who was Olympic champion in the 800 metres in Sydney, 2000, and a bronze medallist in Athens, 2004, is to get a commemorative plaque at the Oregon22 Heritage Trail, specifically in the Shana Barr trail track in Willamalane, Springfield, United States of America.
The Mozambican athlete is being honoured by the organisers of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which will take place in August, in collaboration with the Museum of World Athletics and Travel Lane County.
“In honour of the first World Athletics Championships in the United States, the Oregon22 Heritage Trail is honouring 22 iconic track and field stars with commemorative plaques developed by the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA). The plaques will be located in the athletes’ hometowns or at locations meaningful to the athletes,” a statement from the organisation explains.
“The goal of this legacy project is to create a commemorative and permanent reminder of the World Athletics Championships coming to Oregon,” said Kari Westlund, president and CEO of Travel Lane County.
Maria Mutola, representing Mozambique, was the 1996 Olympic bronze medallist in the 800m and the 2000 Olympic gold medallist. Mutola was also a three-time outdoor World Athletics Championships gold medallist and a seven-time indoor World Athletics Championships gold medallist. She will soon have a commemorative plaque in Shana Barr Trail Marker in Willamalane, Springfield, State of Oregon.
