Almudena Cid

Born:  June 15, 1980

Vitoria, Spain 

Residence:  Madrid, Spain

Ht:  5'6" 

Olympics:  2004, 2000, 1996 

The long haul
Cid's international career has spanned more than a decade; a rare feat in a sport riddled with politics and fleeting success. She's competed in nine world championships and three Olympic Games, with Beijing being a record fourth for the Vitoria, Spain native. Her best Olympic finish was eighth in Athens. The Spaniard is one of the few Western gymnasts to be able to seriously compete against the Eastern Europeans who dominate the sport.

Eastern Influence
With a handful of coaches from Bulgaria and Belarus, Cid's gymnastics benefits from the combination of their technical training and her Spanish flair.

Fans and Flames
One of the most popular rhythmic athletes, Cid maintains two web sites (personal and professional) and is widely respected among the rhythmic community for her infectious style and superior apparatus-handling skills, most notably with the the ball. During each of her competitions, Cid's mother Mina lights a candle at home.

Model athlete
Cid holds a modeling contract with Nike as well as a Spanish apparel company and has appeared in runway shows in Spain. She's made the rounds of Spanish television shows, including an appearance on Spain's version of Skating with the Stars. Her boyfriend is Spanish television personality Christian Galvez, who hosts a popular game show.