Berlin-Based Athlete Among 69 Dead in Spanish High-Speed Train Crash

A 24-year-old Spanish long jumper, Julieta Gallego, who lived and trained in Berlin and competed for the athletics club LAC Berlin, was among the 69 people killed in a high-speed train collision near Urda in the Toledo province of Spain, roughly 130 km south of Madrid. The two trains struck each other on a Wednesday morning at an estimated speed of 160–200 km/h, according to the accident investigation authority. Gallego specialised in the long jump and also competed in the 60-metre sprint. She set her personal best of 5.90 metres at the 2023 Spanish U23 Indoor Championships in Antequera, and recorded a 2026 season best of 5.29 metres at a competition in Berlin-Marzahn in April. The Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) paid tribute on Instagram, writing: "The Spanish track and field community mourns Julieta Gallego, an athlete from AD Sprint club, who lost her life in the train accident in Urda." The story was reported on 30 October 2026, with outlets including the Berliner Morgenpost and t-online also covering her connection to Berlin.