Maria Vicente is a Spanish heptathlete who has already collected no fewer than 53 national records in her home country. And the Iberian champion not only breaks all records, but does so at the speed of light... Suffice it to say that the new Spanish athletics star also recently triumphed in Boras, Sweden, where she won the under-20 European Championships. It is therefore no surprise that she has become the latest and youngest member of the Richard Mille family. The long list of titles and trophies won by the young Catalan should not make one forget that Maria is only 18 years old. But despite this, she is the best female heptathlete the Iberian peninsula can remember. With 53 Spanish records, in 2017 she was crowned world champion at the under-18 championships, while last year she took gold at the U-18 European Championships. Not least, she brought home the world record in U-18 heptathlon. The most recent triumph, the gold medal in Boras, was won in spectacular fashion. In fact, Maria did not just break the record, but also gave her best; she came to the final rush aware of her excellent performance in the javelin throw, where she beat her own record by five metres, throwing a distance of 44.18 metres. In the 800 metre race, which took place in pouring rain, everything was at stake. As the starter's gun started the competition, Maria knew she would have to run the best race of her life and beat several decimal points in a time of 2:24.79. Not only did she achieve the required performance, but she beat it by a full six seconds, clocking 2:16.29 to become the first Spanish woman ever to break 6,000 points, thus clinching the heptathlon podium with a staggering 6,150 points. No wonder that during a gala last January she received the 'most promising young athletes of Spain' award in Madrid from King Felipe in person. Much less that she was the flag-bearer of the Spanish team at the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October last year. Now 1.80 m tall, ideal for an athlete, Maria began to understand the strength and power of her body through dance classes. Her strong determination to always put herself on the line is what drives her to jump so many hurdles, not least those she sets herself. Even after winning, she is only happy if she has achieved her goal. After countless victories, Maria knows perfectly well that people always expect more from her. However, these expectations are not a source of stress, but of pure motivation. Well aware of her achievements, Maria warns that what she has achieved so far is nothing compared to what she has achieved so far. che arrives now, intoning 'you ain't seen nothing yet' in his unmistakable Catalan accent. No wonder then that Maria Vicente lined up in the starting blocks as the newest member of the Richard Mille family, wearing the titanium RM 007. "I am honoured to be part of the Richard Mille family, which has supported me since the first day we met. The story of Richard Mille is an inspiration to everyone and I share the same motivation to continuously strive for the best beyond all limits. This weekend was my first competition with a Richard Mille watch on my wrist. I have never felt comfortable wearing a watch during a race, but this experience could not have been better. Not only was I wearing a beautiful, modern machine on my wrist, but I felt extremely comfortable with it".
