Paula Belén Pareto (born 16 January 1986) is an Argentine retired[2] judoka and physician.[3][4] She was the flag bearer for her country at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[5] She was the first Argentinian woman to become Olympic Champion.

Paula Pareto
Pareto in 2024
Personal information
Full namePaula Belén Pareto
NicknameLa Peque Edit this on Wikidata
Born (1986-01-16) 16 January 1986 (age 38)[1]
San Fernando, Argentina[1]
OccupationJudoka
Height148 cm (4 ft 10 in)[1]
Sport
Country Argentina
SportJudo
Weight class–48 kg
ClubEstudiantes, La Plata[1]
Retired16 September 2021 (2021-09-16)[2]
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesGold (2016)
World Champ.Gold (2015)
Pan American Champ. (2009, 2011, 2017,
( 2018, 2019, 2020)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing  Argentina
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing ‍–‍48 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Astana ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2014 Chelyabinsk ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Baku ‍–‍48 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍48 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Buenos Aires ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2017 Panama City ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 San José ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lima ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2020 Guadalajara ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2005 Caguas (PUR) ‍–‍44 kg
Silver medal – second place 2015 Edmonton ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2016 Havana ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Miami ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2010 San Salvador ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 San José ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Guayaquil ‍–‍48 kg
World Masters
Silver medal – second place 2015 Rabat ‍–‍48 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Gold medal – first place 2012 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Ekaterinburg ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2018 Ekaterinburg ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2020 Budapest ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Paris ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Tokyo ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍48 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2015 Samsun ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2015 Budapest ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Cancún ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2014 Qingdao ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Düsseldorf ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Miami ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Havana ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Zagreb ‍–‍48 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Montreal ‍–‍48 kg
South American Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Medellin ‍–‍48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Santiago ‍–‍48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2006 Buenos Aires ‍–‍48 kg
South American Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Buenos Aires ‍–‍44 kg
Silver medal – second place 2004 Buenos Aires ‍–‍44 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF568
JudoInside.com35243
Updated on 23 May 2023

Biography

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Paula, nicknamed "La Peque" (The small one), was born in San Fernando, Argentina.[1] She lives with her parents in Tigre, close to the capital city. She began swimming at the age of four, and a year later, she took up gymnastics. Her inspiration for judo arose when she was 9, and her younger brother Marco came home from school beaten up. Her father, Aldo, used to practice judo when he was young, so he decided to send Marco to a judo club. Paula was curious and wanted to go too.

Her first judo club was Club San Fernando. She soon won her first tournament, and when she decided to continue practicing judo, she moved to bigger Club Estudiantes de La Plata. First years she competed in the −44 kg division but later moved up to the −48 kg category.

She is a big football fan and plays football with her friends. She had a period when she wanted to play football professionally, but she left the idea to pursue her judo career after that. Her favorite club is Boca Juniors and her home club Estudiantes de La Plata.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, in an interview said that she is single, and her mother Mirta commented that it was like "You are engaged to judo".[6]

Paula has a younger brother named Marco, who supports her on her journeys around world tournaments, and an older sister named Estefanía, who is a psychologist.[7]

She studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires and graduated in March 2014.[8]

In November 2010, Paula was granted the Platinum Konex Award as Argentina's best sportswoman of the last decade. In December 2015, she received the Gold Olimpia Award as the best athlete of the year from her country.

In 2024, Pareto became a member of the International Olympic Committee.[9]

Judo

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She won the bronze medal at 2008 Summer Olympics in one of the most dramatic matches of the whole tournament. She stood against Pak Ok-Song from North Korea. The Korean judoka was active the whole match and got a koka in the middle of the match for activity. Drama came in the last 10 seconds when Pak began a technique, but Paula made use of it for her technique, which was a counter to the Korean's move. Problems arose when the jury counted the technique for Pak, perhaps because she began to move first. In the end, Pak celebrated the medal, and Paula cried, but her trainer Carlos Denegri lodged an objection, so the jury checked the video. Finally, they agreed that it was Pareto who made the technique (Kuchiki-taoshi), and so she took the medal.[10]

She is also very successful in continental games and championships like Pan American Games.

In August 2015, Paula won the gold medal at the World Judo Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, her first world title. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Paula defeated Jeong Bo-kyeong to capture her first Olympic gold medal.[11]

Achievements

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Year Tournament Place Weight class
2005 Pan American Judo Championships 2nd Super Extra-Lightweight (−44 kg)
2006 Pan American Judo Championships 5th Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2006 South American Games 2nd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007 Pan American Judo Championships 5th Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007 World Judo Championships 5th Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2007 Pan American Games 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2008 Pan American Judo Championships 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2008 Olympic Games 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2009 Pan American Judo Championships 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2010 South American Games 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2010 Pan American Judo Championships 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2011 Pan American Judo Championships 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2011 Pan American Games 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2012 Olympic Games 5th Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2013 Pan American Judo Championships 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014 South American Games 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014 World Judo Championships 2nd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2014 Pan American Judo Championships 3rd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015 Pan American Judo Championships 2nd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015 Pan American Games 2nd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2015 World Judo Championships 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2016 Pan American Judo Championships 2nd Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2016 Olympic Games 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2017 Pan American Judo Championships 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)
2018 Pan American Judo Championships 1st Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Paula Pareto". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Paula Pareto completes her judo mission and retires". JudoInside.com. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. ^ Judo at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games: Women's Extra-Lightweight. sports-reference.co
  4. ^ "Paula Pareto / Ijf.org". ijf.org. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Judo - PARETO Paula". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. ^ "HISTORIA DE MUJERES – Para Ti Online". 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Diario Perfil | PAULA PARETO, BRONCE – Toda la felicidad envuelta en un cuerpo de muñeca". 31 March 2012. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  8. ^ "Paula Pareto, Judo Argentino". 11 January 2014. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  9. ^ "IOC Session in Paris elects two new Vice-Presidents and eight IOC Members". Olympics.com. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  10. ^ Judo at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's Extra-Lightweight. sports-reference.com
  11. ^ Sartori, Hernán (6 August 2016). "Paula Pareto hizo historia en Río y Argentina tiene su primer oro".
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