Carla Sacramento

1.1. Birth and Background

Carla Cristina Paquete Sacramento was born on December 10, 1971, in São Sebastião da Pedreira, a civil parish in Lisbon, Portugal. Her family originates from São Tomé, an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea. She was also honored with the OIH, a Portuguese national order of merit.

1.2. Childhood and Early Achievements

Sacramento's athletic journey began at a young age. She achieved her first national title in 1986 when she was only fifteen years old, signaling her early talent and potential in the sport.

1.3. Early Career Development

From her early career, Carla Sacramento, alongside fellow Portuguese runner Fernanda Ribeiro, emerged as a dominant force in Portuguese middle and long-distance running. Their combined talent led to a period of significant national success in these disciplines. Sacramento was also affiliated with the Portuguese club Maratona Clube de Portugal, for which she competed throughout her career.

2.1. Major Competition Achievements

Carla Sacramento competed extensively at the highest levels of international athletics, securing multiple medals and strong finishes.

In 1988, she participated in the World Junior Championships in Sudbury, Canada, competing in the 800m. The following year, at the European Junior Championships in Varaždin, Yugoslavia, she placed fourth in the 800m and ninth in the 4 × 400m relay. In 1990, at the World Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, she finished fourth in both the 800m and 1500m. The same year, at the Ibero-American Championships in Manaus, Brazil, she earned a bronze medal in the 1500m with a time of 4:15.06, and finished fourth in the 800m.

The year 1992 saw her competing at the European Indoor Championships in Genoa, Italy, where she placed fourth in the 800m. She also made her Olympic Games debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, reaching the semifinals in both the 800m and 1500m. In 1993, she competed at the World Indoor Championships in Toronto, Canada, placing seventh in the 1500m, and at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, where she finished eleventh in the 1500m.

In 1994, Sacramento secured a bronze medal in the 800m at the European Indoor Championships in Paris, France. She also finished sixth in both the 800m and 1500m at the European Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Her success continued in 1995 with a silver medal in the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, Spain, and a bronze medal in the 1500m at the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The year 1996 was particularly successful as she won a gold medal in the 1500m at the European Indoor Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. She also placed sixth in the 1500m at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. In 1997, Sacramento achieved her career highlight by winning the gold medal in the 1500m at the World Championships in Athens, Greece. Earlier that year, she had placed fifth in the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships in Paris, France, and later earned a silver medal in the 1500m at the Universiade in Catania, Italy.

In 1998, she won a gold medal in the 1500m at the Ibero-American Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, and a silver medal in the 1500m at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She finished fifth in the 1500m at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, in 1999. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, she placed tenth in the 1500m. She also won the inaugural edition of the Oeiras International Cross Country race in 2000.

In 2001, Sacramento finished fourth in the 1500m at both the World Indoor Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, and the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. She also secured a bronze medal in the mile at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. In 2002, she earned a silver medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in Vienna, Austria, and placed twelfth in the 1500m at the European Championships in Munich, Germany. Her final major appearances included the World Championships in Paris, France, in 2003, and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, both in the 1500m. Additionally, she consistently finished in the top ten at the World Cross Country Championships.

2.2. Personal Bests

Carla Sacramento achieved impressive personal bests across various track and field events, demonstrating her versatility and world-class capabilities. She notably ran under 2 minutes for the 800m and under 4 minutes for the 1500m multiple times, marks considered benchmarks of world-class running.

Her personal bests include:

• 400m: 54.07 (1997)
• 800m: 1:58.94 (1997)
• 1500m: 3:57.71 (1998)
• 3000m: 8:30.22 (1999)
• 5000m: 15:52.54 (2000)
• 10km: 33:46 (1997)