Madeline de Jesús


Madeline de Jesús Candelaria is a retired female track and field athlete from Puerto Rico, who competed in the women's long jump and triple jump during her career. Her personal best in the long jump was set on July 24, 1988, in Mexico City. She finished fifth in the long jump at the 1987 Pan American Games. De Jesús twin sister Margaret de Jesús also competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the women's 400 metres. Madeline is currently living in Belgium where she's active as a sports teacher and coach.

Olympic cheating

After Puerto Rico's Madeline de Jesus got injured while competing in the long jump, she was unable to run in the 4×400-meter relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She came up with a plan and enlisted her identical twin sister, Margaret, as an imposter for a qualifying heat. Margaret ran the second leg of the qualifier, and the team advanced but when the chief coach of the Puerto Rican team learned of the ruse, he pulled his team out of the final.