24-Year-Old Long Jumper Among Those Killed in Devastating Train Collision

Just 19 days before she lost her life, Julieta Gallego celebrated her 24th birthday, hoping to see her hard work as an athlete take her further in the sport she had devoted years to. A young long jumper from Madrid, she had already set a personal best of 5.90 metres while living in Germany, away from home. She had more competitions to look forward to, greater distances to cover and goals she was still working towards. But life had other plans. On October 28, 2026, Julieta was among the 69 people killed in the devastating train collision near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province.

On October 29, AD Sprint de Madrid, the club of the young long jumper, confirmed her passing in an emotional statement. “Everyone at the club is heartbroken and we want to extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, teammates, and all those who loved her. Rest in peace, Julieta. You will always be part of our Sprint family.” 

Born on October 9, 2002, Gallego grew up in Madrid and attended the German School of Madrid. Her athletics career took her to competitions in both Spain and Germany, where she focused primarily on the long jump while also taking part in sprinting and hurdling events.

Her earliest available competition records date back to January 2022, at the Gerhard-Schlegel Memorial Sports Festival in Berlin-Charlottenburg. She ran the 60-metre sprint in 8.20 seconds and recorded a long jump of 5.56 metres. Just a week later, she returned to the track and improved her distance to 5.69 metres, an early indication of the progress she would make over the following seasons.

A significant milestone followed in 2023, when she competed at the Spanish Under-23 Indoor Athletics Championships in Antequera. There, she jumped 5.90 metres, setting the personal best that would stand as the finest recorded mark of her career. She continued competing in Germany, recording 5.79 metres at an event in Hamburg in February 2024 and later jumping 5.72 metres in Berlin in June 2025.

By then, Germany had become an important part of both her life and her sporting career. She was living there and represented LAC Berlin, while retaining her connection to AD Sprint de Madrid. Her last recorded competition took place on April 25, 2026, at the LAC Berlin Spring Sports Festival in Berlin-Marzahn, where she recorded a jump of 5.29 metres.

In the days following her death, AD Sprint also announced plans to honour her with a minute of silence at two athletics venues in Madrid. The tribute was scheduled for the tracks at the Paracuellos schools at 6 p.m. and Santa Ana at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. In its announcement, the club said the moment would be held in memory of Gallego and as a tribute to their athlete.

Messages of sympathy have also poured in from the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, which expressed its sorrow over Julieta’s death and extended its condolences to her family, friends and teammates. For those who knew her, the loss was deeply personal. But Julieta was just one of the many people whose lives were cut short that morning, as the collision claimed dozens of other victims.

How did the deadly train collision unfold?

The tragedy unfolded at around 8:53 a.m. on October 28, near Urda and Los Yébenes in Spain’s Toledo province, along the high-speed railway line connecting Madrid and Andalusia. Two trains heading towards Seville were involved in the collision: an Iryo service carrying 147 passengers and a Renfe AVE train with 397 people on board. According to the preliminary explanation provided by Spain’s Transport Ministry, a failure in the LZB railway safety system caused several trains in the area to stop, leaving the Iryo service stationary on the tracks.

Moments later, the Renfe AVE travelling behind it struck the rear of the stationary train. The force of the impact sent several carriages off the tracks, leaving some badly damaged and passengers trapped inside. Emergency services rushed to the scene, with firefighters, medical teams, police officers and members of the Military Emergency Unit working to reach those trapped, treat the injured and recover victims. More than 180 people were injured, many of whom required hospital treatment.

The collision claimed 69 lives, turning the morning journey into a devastating loss for families across Spain. Among those who died were former Spanish Employment Minister Fátima Báñez, Guardia Civil officer José Manuel Chacón and Antonio Montero Domínguez, a respected tax inspector and specialist in tax law. Their deaths, along with those of dozens of other passengers, prompted tributes and messages of condolence from across the country.

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