Spanish Long Jumper Julieta Gallego Dies in High-Speed Train Crash
The 24-year-old athlete, who lived and trained in Berlin, was among the dozens of victims killed in a devastating railway collision in central Spain.
Spanish long jumper Julieta Gallego was among the victims of a catastrophic high-speed train collision that occurred on Wednesday in the province of Toledo, Spain. The 24-year-old athlete, who celebrated her birthday on October 9, lived and trained in Berlin while maintaining close athletic ties to her native country.
The disaster took place near the municipality of Urda on the high-speed railway line connecting Madrid and Sevilla. A Renfe passenger train carrying 397 people crashed into a stationary Iryo train carrying 147 passengers on the same track. The violent impact caused several railcars to derail and plunge down an embankment.
According to reports from local authorities and news outlets, the collision resulted in at least 69 fatalities and left more than 100 people injured, many of them seriously. Spanish officials declared three days of national mourning following the tragedy, which marks the deadliest train accident in Spain since 2013.
Traffic Minister Óscar Puente explained that a computer failure disabled the safety system across a 63-kilometer section of the track at 8:30 a.m., prompting trains to halt. However, control center personnel subsequently allowed the Renfe train to proceed without an enforced speed restriction, leading to the fatal collision with the stationary Iryo train at 8:53 a.m.
Gallego was a specialized long jumper with a personal best of 5.90 meters, which she achieved at the Spanish U23 Indoor Championships in Antequera in 2023. She also competed in 60-meter sprint events. In Germany, she represented the Berlin athletics club LAC Berlin, while back in Spain she competed for the Madrid-based club AD Sprint.
The sports community expressed profound grief following the news of her passing. Raúl Chapado, president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA), released a statement describing the tragedy as a severe blow to the athletics family and mourning an inspiring life cut short.
Her Spanish club, AD Sprint, also shared a public tribute offering deepest condolences and full support to her family, loved ones, and teammates. Athletic organizations across Europe joined in mourning the young competitor alongside the numerous other victims lost in the catastrophic derailment.
Sources
- Berliner Leichtathletin stirbt bei Zugunglück in Spanien – erst vor wenigen Wochen wurde sie 24 merkur.de
- Weitspringerin Julieta Gallego stirbt bei Zugkatastrophe gmx.at
- Beim Zugunglück: Weitspringerin (24) aus Berlin stirbt in Spanien sportbild.bild.de
- Julieta Gallego (24): Leichtathletin stirbt bei Zugunglück in Spanien suedostschweiz.ch
- 69 Tote in Spanien: Weitspringerin (24) aus Berlin stirbt bei Zugunglück bild.de