Carlota Castrejana
A pioneering Spanish athlete who broke the 14.50-meter barrier and held the national triple jump record for over a decade.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Spanish triple jumper·Birthday: April 25·Generation X
Biography
Carlota Castrejana carved her name into Spanish athletics history through sheer persistence in the demanding event of the triple jump. Competing in an era where Spanish women were still establishing themselves on the global track and field stage, Castrejana became a national standard-bearer. Her career was a marathon of incremental improvements, culminating in a monumental leap of 14.60 meters at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almería. That jump not only won her a silver medal but also set a Spanish record that would stand for years. Though Olympic finals eluded her, her consistency made her a fixture at European and World Championships, representing Spain with a quiet, determined professionalism that inspired a generation of Spanish jumpers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Carlota was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carlota Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Carlota's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the Spanish national record in the women's triple jump with a leap of 14.60 meters in 2005.
- Won a silver medal at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almería.
- Competed in the triple jump at the Olympic Games in both 2004 and 2008.
Did You Know?
Her national record of 14.60 meters stood for over 11 years before being broken.
She studied Physical Activity and Sports Science at university.
Castrejana also competed in the long jump at an international level early in her career.
“Every jump is a fight against the sand and yourself.”
