Meritxell Soler '15 to Run in Paris Olympics

By Andy Thurston, Augustana Athletics Communications

MADRID, Spain – Former Augustana athlete Meritxell Soler (formally Delgado) is headed to the Olympic Games, qualifying as a member of Team Spain in the marathon for the first time in her career. She becomes the first Augustana athlete to compete in the Olympics. 

Participating in the Olympic Games represents the culmination of 17 years of training and serves as a testament to the dedication and hard work invested to reach this point.
Meritxell Soler

Soler placed second in the marathon with a time of 2:25:57 at the Spanish Championships held in Servilla on February 18 to secure her spot at the 2024 Paris Games. The time was also the third best Spanish time in marathon history. 

The two years at Augustana were pivotal in my development as a professional athlete. I could not have achieved this level of success without the support of my coach and my teammates. From the very first training session, coach Hellman and the team made me feel incredibly welcomed. Despite being miles away from Barcelona, I always felt at home.
Meritxell Soler

The marathon is scheduled to be contested on August 11 at 1 a.m. (CT), in Paris.

Merixtell was a big part of our team's success when she was a student-athlete at Augustana. She was instrumental in helping out women place top 10 at the NCAA Championships multiple years and she always had a team-first mentality. To see her continue to chase her dreams and to be selected to represent Spain in the Paris Olympics is such a proud moment for our program.

As we have always said, Augustana cross country/track and field is a large family. All of Augustana will be cheering on Meritxell as she races in the Olympic Marathon on August 11. Once a Viking, always a Viking!
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Tracy Hellman

In her two-year Augustana career, Soler earned All-NSIC honors in cross country twice and six times between indoor and outdoor track and field. She earned All-Central Region cross country honors in 2014 and in track and field for indoor 5,000m in 2015 and outdoor 10,000m in both 2014 and 2015.

Since graduating from Augustana, Soler has excelled on and off the route. She works as a full-time dentist in Barcelona and is married to her husband Abel Casali. She runs with Avinent Manresa and will be the first athlete the club has sent to the Olympics since 1948. She made her world championships debut in 2023 where she finished 27th in the marathon with a time of 2:34:38 in Budapest, Hungary. 
 

--GoAugie.com

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