Paul McGrath (race walker)

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Paul McGrath

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = Paul McGrath Benito

| nationality = Spanish

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|3|7|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| height =

| weight =

| country = {{flagicon|SPA}} Spain

| sport = Athletics

| event = Race Walking

| pb =

| medaltemplates =

}}

Paul McGrath Benito{{fnf|McGrath|Benito|lang=Spanish}} (born 7 March 2002) is a Spanish race walker. He was a silver medalist at the 2024 European Athletics Championships. He competed at the 2024 Olympic Games.{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/spain/paul-mcgrath-14783906 |website=World Athletics |accessdate=8 June 2024 |title=Paul McGrath}}

Career

He won the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia in the 10,000m race walk.{{cite web |date=15 July 2021 |website=World Athletics |accessdate=8 June 2024 |url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7147608?eventId=10229637 |title=European Athletics U20 Championships}} He finished third at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi in the 10,000m race walk.{{cite web |website=Olympics.com |accessdate=8 June 2024 |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/world-athletics-u20-championships-india-day-4-result-men-race-walk |title=Amit Khatri wins silver in 10000m race walk at World Athletics U20 meet |date=21 August 2021}}

He finished third at the 20 km race walk on 13 February 2022 at the senior Spanish Championships in Pamplona.{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-race-walking-team-championshi/world-athletics-race-walking-team-championshi-7138851/news/feature/spain-race-walk-muscat-legacy-aim |website=World Athletics |accessdate=8 June 2024 |title=Spain's aim for race walk legacy continues in Muscat |date=28 February 2022}}

He won gold at the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland, in the 20,000m race walk in a personal best of 1:21:03.{{cite web |url=https://www.trackalerts.com/2023/07/thrilling-start-to-european-u23-championships-with-stey-and-mcgrath-dominating-20km-race-walk/ |website=Track Alerts |accessdate=8 June 2024 |title=Thrilling Start to European U23 Championships with Stey and McGrath Dominating 20km Race Walk |first=Anthony |last=Foster |date=July 12, 2023}}{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Broadbent|url= https://www.european-athletics.com/news/stey-and-mc-grath-split-the-honours-in-the-20km-race-walk-in-espoo-2023-|accessdate=5 April 2025|title= Stey and McGrath split the honours in the 20km race walk in Espoo 2023|date=12 July 2023}}

In April 2024, he was a silver medalist in the 20km race at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey.{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-race-walking-team-championshi/world-athletics-race-walking-team-championshi-7199325/news/report/antalya-24-senior-men-20km-report|website=World Athletics|accessdate=5 April 2025|date=21 April 2024|title= Karlstrom reigns again, taking 20km title in Antalya}} That month, he won the Spanish national title in the 20 km race walk, setting a personal best time of 1:17:55 in Zaragoza. It placed him third on the Spanish all-time list.{{cite web |url=https://www.european-athletics.com/news/senior-breakthrough-beckons-for-spains-mc-grath-in-his-beloved-rome- |website=European Athletics |accessdate=8 June 2024 |title=Senior breakthrough beckons for Spain's McGrath in his beloved Rome |date=17 April 2024}}

He was a silver medalist at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024.{{cite web |url=https://sportsfinding.com/spaniard-paul-mcgrath-european-silver-in-the-20-km-walk-in-rome/206237/ |website=Sportsfinding |date=8 June 2024 |accessdate=8 June 2024 |title=Spaniard Paul McGrath, European silver in the 20 km walk in Rome |first=George |last=Williams}} He was officially selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics in July 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.labolsadelcorredor.com/la-lista-de-espana-para-el-atletismo-en-los-juegos-olimpicos-de-paris/ |website=sport.es |accessdate=3 July 2024 |date=3 July 2024 |title=Spain's list for athletics at the Paris Olympics}} Although he featured towards the front of the race at the start of the men's 20km race in Paris, he eventually finished in seventeenth overall in a time of 1:20.32.{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxiii-olympic-games-7153115/results/men/20-kilometres-race-walk/final/result |website=World Athletics|accessdate=5 April 2025|title= 20 KILOMETRES RACE WALK MEN|date=1 August 2024 }} {{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/paris-2024-olympics-report-men-20km-race-walk |website=World Athletics|access-date=5 April 2025|title= 20km race walk champion Pintado takes first athletics gold of Paris 2024 Olympic Games|date=1 August 2024 }}

He won his first major senior title in the men’s 20km race walk at the 2025 European Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady, Czechia on 18 May 2025, winning the 20km race walk title in a championship record of 1:18:05 and also led Spain to the team title.{{cite web|website=European Athletics|accessdate=19 May 2025|title= McGrath sets championship record of 1:18:05 to win 20km race walk gold in Podebrady|date=18 May 2025|url= https://www.european-athletics.com/news/mc-grath-sets-championship-record-of-1-18-05-to-win-20km-race-walk-gold-in-podebrady-}}

Personal life

McGrath was born and raised in Barcelona. He has a Spanish mother, a Scottish father, and Irish grandparents.{{cite web |url=https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/rising-race-walks-star-paul-mcgrath-on-his-spanish-scottish-heritage-1039988403/ |website=Athletics Weekly |accessdate=8 June 2024 |date=8 June 2024 |title=Rising race walks star Paul McGrath on his Spanish-Scottish heritage |first=Jason |last=Henderson}} His father, James, is from Glasgow, and a keen football fan, as a consequence McGrath is a supporter of Scottish Premiership football club Celtic and has been a season ticket holder.{{cite web|url= https://www.67hailhail.com/news/paris-2024-olympic-athlete-reveals-his-surprising-love-for-celtic/|website=67hailhail.com|accessdate=5 April 2025|title= Paris 2024 Olympic athlete reveals his surprising love for Celtic|date=9 March 2024|first=John|last= McGinley}}

Notes

References

External links

{{World Athletics}}
[https://www.rfeacontent.es/biografias/hombres/McgrathPaul.pdf Paul McGrath] at RFEA {{in lang|es}}
{{Olympics.com profile}}
[https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/paul-mcgrath_1904171 Paul McGrath] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
[https://esp.coe.es/atleta/paul-mcgrath-benito/348819/ Paul McGrath – COE – Paris 2024] {{in lang|es}}

Category:2002 births

Category:Living people

Category:Spanish male race walkers

Category:Athletes from Barcelona

Category:Spanish people of Scottish descent

Category:Spanish people of Irish descent

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic athletes for Spain

Category:21st-century Spanish sportsmen