Susana Rodriguez is a Paralympic Champion in the PTVI category after taking victory at Tokyo 2020. In addition to her Paralympic exploits, Rodriguez is a five-time world champion (2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and a three-time European champion (2017, 2019, 2023). 

Born in the Spanish coastal city of Vigo in March 1998, Rodriguez was born with albinism with a sever visual impairment that limited her vision in one eye to 8% and 5% in the other. She is considered legally blind. 

Susana initially tried her hand at athletics as part of the Spanish national organisation for blind people and trained at the Pontevedra Technification Centre. After failing to make the Paralympic World Cup squad, she switched her focus to paratriathlon. 

Away from the sport, Susana is a qualified doctor in her native Spain and played a crucial role in the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic – often completing a length and challenging shift in the hospital then heading to training ahead of the Tokyo Games. 

To prepare for the Games, the Spanish Paralympic Committee delivered exercise equipment to her during the pandemic as the country held one of the toughest lockdowns in the world, not allowing people to go outside. 

Her performances over the last few years have earned her a nomination for the prestigious Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a disability award in 2022. She also appeared on the front page of Time magazine in July 2021. 

 

Susana Rodriguez record and results 

Susana made her debut on the ITU World Championship Series in 2010 by taking victory in London in the TRI-6 category, an achievement she followed up in 2011 with a second win in the series in Madrid and third-place finish in London. A first venture to the European Championship in 2011 ended in a fourth-place finish. 

In 2012, Rodrigues secured another victory in Madrid on the ITU circuit, adding a victory at the ITU Duathlon World Championship in Nancy. 2012 ended with a win at the Barfoot and Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland. 

Susana continued her dominance of Madrid with a third victory in the city in 2013, coupled with podium finishes at the ETU Eruopean Championships, ITU Aquathlon Worlds and ITU Grand Final in London. 

A quartet of victories; ITU Yokohama, Besancon, Pontevedra and the European Championships in Kitzbühel were added to Susana’s resumé in 2014 in the PT5 category. 2015 brought wins at ITU Madrid and the Spanish National Championships in an action-packed season. 

After winning the 2016 World Duathlon title, Susana turned her attention to the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Susana, with her guide Maria Isabel Gallardon García, were fifth out of the water 27 seconds out of the medal placings. Rodriguez lost ground on the bike before a sold run secured her fifth place in her debut Games. 

For the 2020 Paralympic cycle, Susana was recategorized to compete in the PTVI category. After earning a series of victories in 2017 and 2018; ITU World Cup Altafulla and Aguilas, ITU World Series in Yokohama and the Grand Final on the Gold Coast; she began to take command of the division in 2019. 

Rodriguez earned five successive victories including an Aquathlon world title, ITU wins at Yokohama and the Lausanne Grand Final, a win on the Groupe Copley world series and a European Championship title. 2020 continued her success with two wins from two in the Spanish National Champions and IT Alhandra. 

Further domination followed in 2021 with four wins from four. Susana earned wins at WTCS Leeds, Para Cup Coruna, Alhandra and a world title in Abu Dhabi. Her crowning glory, however, was victory in Tokyo. Susana exited the water in fourth place – 17 seconds off the pace – but dominated on the bike to lead into the run. Rodriguez was outstanding on the run, taking 31 seconds out of her nearest rival, earning Paralympic gold in the process. 

After her Paralympic win, Rodriguez continued to dominate on the Para circuit, winning 12 straight races after her gold medal in a streak that lasted until July 2023 and included a World Triathlon Para Championship title in Abu Dhabi in 2022.

At the end of 2023, she finished second at the world championship in Pontevedra behind Francesca Tarantello of Italy. Rodriguez was back on top at the World Triathlon Para Cup in Malaga, before starting 2024 with a second place finish in the World Triathlon Para Series in Yokohama.

At the World Triathlon Para Series in Montreal in June 2024, Rodriguez took the win, and will be the favourite to defend her title in Paris. In the run up to the Olympics, Rodriguez had a barbie doll modelled after her released by the toy’s parent company Mattel, to celebrate women in sport.

 

 

Susana Rodriguez gear

Susana is sponsored by Adidas and uses their sportswear across her triathlon training and racing. Other sponsors include Delikia Fresh and Austrol. 

Her tandem road bike frame is made by Duratel and uses Matrix wheels.