World Athletics has named Cuba’s Ana Quirot winning gold medals at the 1995 and 1997 World Championships, among 10 of the greatest athletics moments of triumph over adversity.

Quirot was one of the most versatile runners in the world in the late 1980s and 1990s. She was considered one of the best 800m runners of all time and one of the best never to win an Olympic gold medal.

However, her achievements cannot be overlooked, especially after what happened to her in the early 1990s.

“Undefeated over 800m between September 1987 and August 1990, she set national records of 1:54.44 in her specialist event and 49.61 over 400m. She also earned world silver in 1991 and Olympic bronze in 1992.

“But in 1993, she was involved in a domestic accident and was engulfed by flames from the kerosene cooker in her kitchen, suffering third-degree burns over 38 per cent of her body. She was pregnant at the time and gave birth to her daughter prematurely in the hospital while fighting for her life. Her daughter did not survive and died a week after she was born.

“When she returned to consciousness on her hospital bed, she promised: “I’m going to run again.”

After undergoing seven skin-graft operations, she returned to action in 1995 and won the world 800m title in Gothenburg. She went on to claim Olympic silver in 1996 and then successfully defended her world title in 1997 at the age of 34.”

Quirot, now 57, was Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1989.