02 FEB 2024

Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola España, awards Lydia Valentín with the Iberdrola Golden Handprint diploma in recognition of her career

  • The triple Olympic medallist, recently retired, receives the award by the CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle

Award to Lydia Valentin

Lydia Valentín, one of the best sportswomen in history, received a heartfelt tribute at Iberdrola's facilities from the CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle, who presented her with the Iberdrola Golden Handprint diploma (Huella de Oro Iberdrola) in recognition of her entire sporting career. 

Lydia – the only Spanish athlete to have won Olympic medals in weightlifting – announced her retirement last September. The Olympic champion has stamped her handprints on a plaster cast, a souvenir that will be exhibited alongside those of other sportswomen such as Sandra Sánchez and Ona Carbonell at the company's offices in Madrid. 

Iberdrola wished to recognise the brilliant career of the triple Olympic medallist, while at the same time thanking her for her involvement to equal opportunities as an ambassador for the company, a drive that Mario Ruiz-Tagle highlighted as a model of perseverance, discipline and hard work, values that Iberdrola carries in its DNA. 

Lydia, for her part, thanked the company for its support, which has allowed her to "focus on training and competitions and feel supported" and stressed that Iberdrola's support is also bearing fruit – creating role models for the youngest athletes.

Pioneering support

Since 2016, Iberdrola España has been a pioneer in promoting women's equality through sport in Spain, benefiting more than 800,000 women athletes through its support to 35 National Federations; that is, two out of every three federated women. 

Since then, Iberdrola España's initiatives have led to a 42% increase in the number of women's licences in the Federations supported and it has more than 100 competitions with its own name, including 32 leagues.
 

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