Paula Belén Pareto (born 16 January 1986) is an Argentine retired [2] judoka and physician. [3] [4] She was the flag bearer for her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics. [5] She was the first Argentinian woman to become Olympic Champion having won gold at the women's 48 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Paula, nicknamed "La Peque" (The small one), was born in San Fernando, Argentina. [1] She lives with her parents in Tigre, close to the capital city. She began swimming at the age of four, and a year later, she took up gymnastics. Her inspiration for judo arose when she was 9, and her younger brother Marco came home from school beaten up. Her father, Aldo, used to practice judo when he was young, so he decided to send Marco to a judo club. Paula was curious and wanted to go too.
Her first judo club was Club San Fernando. She soon won her first tournament, and when she decided to continue practicing judo, she moved to bigger Club Estudiantes de La Plata. First years she competed in the −44 kg division but later moved up to the −48 kg category.
She is a big football fan and plays football with her friends. She had a period when she wanted to play football professionally, but she left the idea to pursue her judo career after that. Her favorite club is Boca Juniors and her home club Estudiantes de La Plata.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, in an interview said that she is single, and her mother Mirta commented that it was like "You are engaged to judo". [6]
Paula has a younger brother named Marco, who supports her on her journeys around world tournaments, and an older sister named Estefanía, who is a psychologist. [7]
She studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires and graduated in March 2014. [8]
In November 2010, Paula was granted the Platinum Konex Award as Argentina's best sportswoman of the last decade. In December 2015, she received the Gold Olimpia Award as the best athlete of the year from her country.
In 2024, Pareto became a member of the International Olympic Committee. [9]
Pareto won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament. She stood against Pak Ok-song from North Korea, Pak was active the whole match and earned a koka for her activity. The drama unfolded in the last 10 seconds when Pak initiated a technique, but Pareto countered with her own move, a Kuchiki taoshi. Problems arose when the jury counted the technique for Pak, perhaps because she began to move first. In the end, Pak celebrated the medal, and Pareto cried, but her trainer Carlos Denegri lodged an objection, so the jury checked the video. Finally, they agreed that it was Pareto who made the technique (Kuchiki taoshi), and so she took the medal. [10]
Pareto is also very successful in continental games and championships like Pan American Games.
Pareto won the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in August in Astana, Kazakhstan, her first world title. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Pareto defeated Jeong Bo-kyeong to capture an Olympic gold medal. [11]
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Pan American Judo Championships | 2nd | Super Extra-Lightweight (−44 kg) |
| 2006 | Pan American Judo Championships | 5th | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2006 | South American Games | 2nd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2007 | Pan American Judo Championships | 5th | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2007 | World Judo Championships | 5th | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2007 | Pan American Games | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2008 | Pan American Judo Championships | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2009 | Pan American Judo Championships | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2010 | South American Games | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2010 | Pan American Judo Championships | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2011 | Pan American Judo Championships | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2011 | Pan American Games | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | 5th | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2013 | Pan American Judo Championships | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2014 | South American Games | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2014 | World Judo Championships | 2nd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2014 | Pan American Judo Championships | 3rd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2015 | Pan American Judo Championships | 2nd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2015 | Pan American Games | 2nd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2015 | World Judo Championships | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2016 | Pan American Judo Championships | 2nd | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2017 | Pan American Judo Championships | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
| 2018 | Pan American Judo Championships | 1st | Extra-Lightweight (−48 kg) |
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World Judo Championships — Women's Extra Lightweight | |
|---|---|
1980–present: –48 kg | |
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48 kg | |
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