{{Short description|Spanish rhythmic gymnast}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Teresa Fuster | image = Bito Fuster 01.png | full_name = María Teresa Fuster Amades | nickname = Bito | nationality = | national_team = {{ESP}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|10|28}} | birth_place = Tarragona, Spain | occupation = University professor | years_active = Rhythmic gymnastics 1988-1992, rugby ?-1998 | spouse = Ramón Planes | sport = Rhythmic Gymnastics, Rugby | club = Club Gimnàstic de Tarragona / INEF Barcelona | coach = Emilia Boneva | medaltemplates = <!-- see Template:MedalRelatedTemplates --> {{MedalCount | European Championships | 0|1|2 | World Championships |1|2|3 | FIG World Cup | 0|0|3 |'''Total'''|'''1'''|'''3'''|'''7''' }} {{MedalSport|Rhythmic Gymnastics}} {{MedalCountry|{{ESP}}}} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships}} {{MedalGold| 1991 Athens | All-Around}} {{MedalSilver| 1991 Athens | 6 Ribbons}} {{MedalSilver| 1991 Athens | 3 Balls + 3 Ropes}} {{MedalBronze | 1989 Sarajevo | All-Around}} {{MedalBronze | 1989 Sarajevo | 12 Clubs}} {{MedalBronze | 1989 Sarajevo | 3 Hoops + 3 Ribbons}} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships}} {{MedalSilver| 1990 Gothenburg | 12 Clubs}} {{MedalBronze| 1990 Gothenburg | All-Around}} {{MedalBronze| 1990 Gothenburg | 3 Balls + 3 Ropes}} | show-medals = yes }}
'''María Teresa Fuster Amades''' (born 28 October 1974), also known as '''Bito Fuster''' or '''Teresa Fuster''', is a retired Spanish rhythmic gymnast. She was World champion in 1991 and two-time European champion in 1992. The generation of gymnasts that she was part of is known by the nickname "Primeras Chicas de Oro".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Montse and Manel |title=Pinceladas de rítmica |date=2017 |isbn=978-84-17023-48-5 |pages=126|publisher=Libros.com }}</ref> Fuster is tied with Lorea Elso, Marta Baldó and Estela Giménez for the Spanish rhythmic gymnast with the most medals in World Championships, with a total of 8. She was also part of the Spanish female rugby national team.
== Personal life == She is married to Ramón Planes, a football club leader, with whom she has 3 children.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Quiero jugadores que sepan morder el polvo' {{!}} Barcelona {{!}} elmundo.es |url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/07/12/barcelona/1247393367.html |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.elmundo.es}}</ref>
== Biography == Born in a family with 5 children, she took up rhythmic gymnastics at the Club Gimnàstic de Tarragona, after trying other sports like athletics and tennis. In 1985 she competed in her first Spanish Championships in Cádiz. At 13, in 1988, she was called up by Emilia Boneva to be part of the Spanish national team as part of the group. During that time, she would train about 8 hours a day at the Moscardó Gymnasium in Madrid under the direction of Boneva herself along with that of Ana Roncero, who since 1982 had been national group coach and head coach. She would also live with all the members of the team in a house in La Moraleja.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Fernández del Valle |first=Aurora |title=Gimnasia rítmica deportiva: aspectos y evolución |year=1995 |publisher=Lib Deportivas Esteban Sanz |isbn=978-84-85977-60-4}}</ref>
At the beginning of 1989, she won three silver medals in the DTB-Pokal Karlsruhe tournament. Shortly after, she and the other members of the group (Beatriz Barral, Lorea Elso, Arancha Marty, Mari Carmen Moreno and Vanesa Muñiz, with Marta Aberturas and Nuria Arias as the substitutes) won three bronze medals at the World Championships in Sarajevo. They reached the podium both in the all-around and in the two finals, 12 clubs and 3 ropes and 3 ribbons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=14.World Championships in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (27. September-1. October 1989) |url=http://r-gymnast.bplaced.net/RG/Results/VB89.htm |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=r-gymnast.bplaced.net}}</ref>
In 1990, the European Championships in Gotheburg took place, where she won a bronze medal in the all-around, as well as a silver in the 12 clubs final and another bronze in the 3 ropes and 3 ribbons final.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical silver for the Spanish team in the European rhythmic gymnastics competition |url=https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19901105-110.html |website=abc.es|date=23 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spain is setting the pace |url=http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD01/HEM/1990/11/08/MD19901108-030.pdf |website=hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com}}</ref> At the World Cup Final, held that year in Brussels, the group (made up of Fuster, Beatriz Barral, Lorea Elso, Montserrat Martín, Arancha Marty and Vanesa Muñiz, with Marta Aberturas and Gemma Royo as the substitutes) won all three bronze medals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=7.European Championships in Goteborg, Sweden (1.-4. November 1990) |url=http://r-gymnast.bplaced.net/RG/Results/EB90.htm |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=r-gymnast.bplaced.net}}</ref> At the Wacoal Cup tournament in Tokyo, held in November, they won overall silver.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The sport year |url=http://hemeroteca.abcdesevilla.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/sevilla/abc.sevilla/1990/12/26/078.html |website=hemeroteca.abcdesevilla.es}}</ref>
In 1991, the two exercises for groups were 6 ribbons for the single-apparatus exercise and 3 balls and 3 ropes for the mixed-apparatus one. Their ribbon exercise used "Tango Jalousie", composed by Jacob Gade, for the music, while their mixed-apparatus one used the song "Campanas" by Víctor Bombi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-09 |title=RG music list |url=http://www.rgforum.no/music/results.php?search=groups |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109213620/http://www.rgforum.no/music/results.php?search=groups |archive-date=2019-11-09 |access-date=2024-02-23}}</ref> To choreograph the dance steps of the 6 ribbons exercise, they had the help of Javier "Poty" Castillo, then a dancer with the National Ballet, although the team's usual choreographer was the Bulgarian Georgi Neykov.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-05 |title=Pozuelo IN - Poty: "Mi vida cambió cuando España queda campeona del mundo por primera vez en la historia en gimnasia rítmica" |url=https://pozueloin.es/publicacion/octubre-2016/el-baul-de-katy/poty-mi-vida-cambio-cuando-espana-queda-campeona-del-mundo-por-primera-vez-en-la-historia-en-gimnasia-ritmica/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905093548/https://pozueloin.es/publicacion/octubre-2016/el-baul-de-katy/poty-mi-vida-cambio-cuando-espana-queda-campeona-del-mundo-por-primera-vez-en-la-historia-en-gimnasia-ritmica/ |archive-date=2019-09-05 |access-date=2024-02-23}}</ref> Before the World Championships, they won gold at the Karlsruhe tournament (ahead of the USSR and Bulgaria) and three bronzes at the Gymnastic Masters in Stuttgart.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2.Gymnastic Masters in Stuttgart, Germany (7.-8. September 1991) |url=http://r-gymnast.bplaced.net/RG/Results/GM91.htm#Group1 |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=r-gymnast.bplaced.net}}</ref>
On 12 October 1991, the Spanish team (consisting of Fuster, Débora Alonso, Isabel Gómez Pérez, Lorea Elso, Montserrat Martín and Gemma Royo, with Marta Aberturas and Cristina Chapuli as the substitutes) won gold in the all-around at the World Championships in Athens. This medal was described by the media as historic, since it was the first time that Spain had won the World Championship in rhythmic gymnastics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=29 años del oro en el Mundial de 1991 de gimnasia ... |url=https://www.coe.tv/videos/detail/66783-29-anos-del-oro-en-el-mundial-de-1991-de-gimnasia-ritmica |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=COE TV |language=es}}</ref> The next day, they would also win silver in both of the two apparatus finals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical gold in rhythmic gymnastics |url=http://hemeroteca.elmundodeportivo.es/preview/1991/10/13/pagina-50/1252104/pdf.html? |website=hemeroteca.elmundodeportivo.es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Spanish team makes history by winning the Athens Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup |url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/10/13/099.html |website=hemeroteca.abc.es|date=26 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spain world champion in rhythmic gymnastics in groups |url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/10/13/010.html |website=hemeroteca.abc.es|date=26 August 2019 }}</ref> After this achievement, at the end of 1991 they would tour in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 October 1991 |title=España cerró su actuación con otras dos medallas de plata |url=http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1991/10/13/pagina-10/33493139/pdf.html |access-date=27 August 2013 |publisher=lavanguardia.com}}<!-- auto-translated from Spanish by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 October 1991 |title=Two more silver for the group |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/10/14/pagina-56/1246205/pdf.html |access-date=27 August 2013 |publisher=mundodeportivo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=16 October 1991 |title=The gold that couldn't be (Part 1/2) |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/10/16/pagina-36/1248199/pdf.html |access-date=27 August 2013 |publisher=mundodeportivo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=16 October 1991 |title=The gold that couldn't be (Part 2/2) |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1991/10/16/pagina-37/1248200/pdf.html |access-date=27 August 2013 |publisher=mundodeportivo.com}}<!-- auto-translated from Spanish by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
In 1992 they won silver in a tournament in Karlsruhe, and later they were invited to give an exhibition at one in Corbeil-Essonnes. In June, with new exercises, they participated in the European Championships in Stuttgart, where they shared the gold medal in the all-around with the Russian team, in addition to winning another gold in the 3 balls and 3 ropes final and bronze in 6 ribbons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=8.European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (4.-7. June 1992) |url=http://r-gymnast.bplaced.net/RG/Results/EB92.htm |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=r-gymnast.bplaced.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2019 |title=Spain won gold at the rhythmic gymnastics European Championships |url=https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19920608-10.html |website=www.abc.es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spain won gold and bronze at the European Championships |url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1992/06/09/pagina-29/1256478/pdf.html# |website=hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com}}</ref> Teresa did not compete in the 1992 Olympic Games because rhythmic gymnastics was an individual-only sport at the Olympics at that time, although she participated with the rest of her teammates in the opening ceremony, leading the parade of participating nations.
Shortly after, they won gold at both the Asvo Cup in Austria and the Alfred Vogel Cup in the Netherlands, where they also won silver in 6 ribbons and gold in 3 balls and 3 ropes. Herself and Gómez were injured before the World Championships in Brussels, which took place in November 1992. They were kept on the team as substitutes, but in the competing lineup were replaced by Alicia Martín, Cristina Martínez and Bárbara Plaza. In this competition, the team won silver in the all-around, with their score just one tenth of a point away from allowing them to retain the world title they had won the previous year. In addition, on November 22 they won bronze in the 6 ribbons final and were 8th with 3 balls and 3 ropes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=16.World Championships in Brussels, Belgium (13.-15. November 1992) |url=http://r-gymnast.bplaced.net/RG/Results/VB92.htm |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=r-gymnast.bplaced.net}}</ref> After this, Teresa would retire from competition, as would the rest of the group that had been world champion in Athens the previous year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emilia Boneva: "With Carmen Acedo and Carolina Pascual we would have swept" |url=http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1992/11/24/093.html |website=hemeroteca.abc.es|date=27 August 2019 }}</ref>
After her retirement she studied at INEF in Barcelona. She also started practicing athletics and aerobic gymnastics for a short time, then deciding to try rugby. She played for four years in the INEF Barcelona's team, making it to the female national team in the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam, where Spain finished 7th.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petit |first=Silvia |date=2018-11-27 |title=Bito Fuster: "Els Jocs Mediterranis els van liderar gent que no ho sentia" |url=https://rctgn.cat/podcast/programes/lentrevista_radio_ciutat/bito-fuster-els-jocs-mediterranis-els-van-liderar-gent-que-no-ho-sentia/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Ràdio Ciutat de Tarragona |language=ca}}</ref> After that she took a master in Business management.
She was president of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee of the Catalan Gymnastics Federation (2000 – 2003), and later professor of Fundamentals of Sports I. Rhythmic Gymnastics and Artistic Gymnastics at the Ramon Llull University of Barcelona between 2002 and 2012, and of Dance and Body Expression in the Degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the Rovira i Virgili University in Amposta from 2012 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-26 |title=Les exgimnastes d'elit Ana Bautista, Teresa Fuster, Tania Lamarca i Montse Martín visiten l'Hospitalet de l'Infant |url=https://www.revistacambrils.cat/noticia/26520/les-exgimnastes-delit-ana-bautista-teresa-fuster-tania-lamarca-i-montse-martin-visiten-lho |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Revista Cambrils |language=Catalan}}</ref>
On December 16 2017, Fuster met with other former gymnasts from the national team to pay tribute to former national team coach Ana Roncero.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homage to Ana Roncero |url=https://www.facebook.com/Sobreeltapiz/posts/1961930897157694 |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref> After having participated in writing the technical proposal for the candidacy, he was responsible for Sports and Volunteers of the Organizing Committee of the Tarragona 2018 Mediterranean Games, as well as its Educational Project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nosotros Xornal Galicia |url=https://www.xornalgalicia.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=44795 |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.xornalgalicia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-15 |title=El comité organizador suma sinergias con las federaciones catalanas |url=http://www.lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampliar/712860/el-comite-organizador-suma-sinergias-con-las-federaciones-catalanas |access-date=2024-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315001849/http://www.lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampliar/712860/el-comite-organizador-suma-sinergias-con-las-federaciones-catalanas |archive-date=2017-03-15 }}</ref> On June 22, 2018, she was one of those in charge of carrying the Mediterranean flag at the opening ceremony of the Mediterranean Games, in addition to carrying out different logistics and accreditation control tasks in the Mediterranean town during them. In September she traveled with several former gymnasts from the Spanish team to the World Championships in Sofia to meet again with the former national team coach Emilia Boneva, and a tribute dinner was also organized in her honor.<ref>{{Citation |title=CENA HOMENAJE A EMILIA BONEVA {{!}} Seguimos en Bulgaria.Cena homenaje a Emilia Boneva por parte de las gimnastas que pudieron viajar a Bulgaria la semana pasada: Gemma Royo, Lorea Elso,... {{!}} By Montse Martin ArtFacebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/montsemartin.pinceladas/videos/cena-homenaje-a-emilia-boneva/612867685776610/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |language=en}}</ref> After Boneva's death on 20 September 2019, Lorea and other former national gymnasts gathered to pay tribute to her during the Euskalgym held on 16 November 2019. The event took place before 8,500 attendees at the Bilbao Exhibition Center de Baracaldo and was followed by a dinner in Boneva's honor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/almudenacidoficial/posts/1172676899589730 |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>
As of early 2024 she's a member of the Board of Directors of the Club Gimnàstic de Tarragona and coordinator of the organization's Grana Volunteering program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-03 |title=Bito Fuster dirigirá el Voluntariat Grana – Nastic |url=http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.cat/es/bito-fuster-dirigira-el-voluntariat-grana/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003031415/http://www.gimnasticdetarragona.cat/es/bito-fuster-dirigira-el-voluntariat-grana/ |archive-date=2018-10-03 }}</ref>
== Legacy and influence == The national rhythmic gymnastics team of 1991 won the first world title for Spanish rhythmic gymnastics at the World Championships, achieving in this discipline a Western country for the first time overcoming Eastern countries.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Del Rio |first=Paloma |title=Enredando en la memoria |year=2015 |publisher=Libros.com |isbn=978-84-16616-08-4}}</ref> Reviews of this milestone appear in books such as ''Gimnasia rítmica deportiva: aspectos y evolución'' (1995) by Aurora Fernández del Valle, ''Enredando en la memoria'' (2015) by Paloma del Río and ''Pinceladas de rítmica'' (2017) by Montse and Manel Martín.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> In April 2018, she donated the leotard with which she became world champion to be permanently displayed at the Nàstic Museum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=El Nàstic presume de raíces |url=https://www.diaridetarragona.com/deportes/el-nstic-presume-de-raices-20180426-0063-DSDT201804260063 |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.diaridetarragona.com |language=es-ES}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuster, Teresa}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Spanish rhythmic gymnasts Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships Category:Medalists at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships