Enriqueta Basilio

Enriqueta Basilio, born on July 15, 1948, in Mexicali, Baja California, emerged from an athletic lineage, with her father working as a cotton farmer. Her journey in athletics began under the guidance of her Polish coach, Włodzimierz Puzio, who shifted her focus from high jumping to hurdling. This pivotal change led her to make history as the first woman to light the Olympic Cauldron during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where she served as the last torch-bearer on October 12.

A national champion and record-holder in the 80 meters hurdles, Enriqueta showcased her talent at the 1967 Pan American Games, finishing seventh in her event. Although her performance at the 1968 Olympics saw her eliminated in the heats of the 400 meters, 80 meters hurdles, and the 4 × 100 meters relay, she continued to excel, earning a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Enriqueta's life was marked by personal challenges. She married basketball player Mario Álvarez, who later served as secretary to the Oaxaca state governor. Tragically, she became a widow with three young children after his untimely death in an airplane accident. Enriqueta pursued higher education in sociology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and later became a federal deputy for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) during the LVIII Legislature of the Mexican Congress.

Her commitment to sports continued as she became a permanent member of the Mexico Olympic Committee and participated in the 2004 Olympic torch relay in Mexico City. However, her life took a difficult turn in 2014 when she was among six thousand five hundred individuals defrauded in a money-lending business scam. Enriqueta Basilio passed away from pneumonia on October 26, 2019, at the age of seventy-one. In recognition of her legacy, the small moon of the trojan asteroid 3548 Eurybates was named Queta on October 15, 2020, honoring her as the first Olympic athlete to receive such an accolade.