Mariana Diaz Ximenez, (born December 13, 1983 in Baucau), is an East Timorese athlete who specialises in the marathon.

A resident of Dili, she fled her home in 1999 after East Timor's declaration of independence from Indonesia, and the ensuing violence. When she returned to the capital, she "saw the Dili harbor filled with the bloated bodies of the dead".

Mariana Diaz Ximenez

In 2001, Diaz won a gold medal in the marathon at the Arafura Games in Australia. In 2002, she represented the newly independent country at the Asian Games in Busan, where she ran the marathon.

Mariana Diaz Ximenez

Having attempted unsuccessfully to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Diaz was one of the two representatives of Timor-Leste at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. However, she did not finish the race.

Mariana Diaz Ximenez

References

External links

1983 births

Living people

People from Baucau District

East Timorese female long-distance runners

Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Olympic athletes for East Timor

East Timorese female marathon runners

Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Asian Games

Asian Games competitors for East Timor