Rafa, Mireia, Márquez and Ana Carrasco in Guinness Book of Records 2019

Next year’s Guinness Book of Records is now on the shelves – and four Spanish sports stars are in it, according to publisher Planeta.

Ana Carrasco, 21 – the first woman ever to win a motorcycling world championship, as well as the first female to gain pole position and to win an International Motorcycling Federation world championship race – is one of two sportswomen to earn her place in the 2019 edition.

She is also one of the two Spanish motorsport aces in next year’s Guinness Book of Records – the unstoppable Marc Márquez, who has only failed to win one world championship since his MotoGP début in 2013 aged 20, has scooped up the record for the highest number of pole positions in history.

Since he started in motorcycle racing in 2009, Márquez, now 25 and five-times MotoGP world champion, has achieved 79 poles.

The other sportswoman who has earned a slot in the 2019 edition is Olympic swimmer Mireia Belmonte(third picture), the fastest in the world in 400 metres medley in short pool and in 25-metre pool, as well as in 800 and 1,500 metres freestyle and 200 metres butterfly.

Mallorca-born tennis ace Rafa Nadal, who has recently lost his number one slot, has nevertheless gained another top distinction by getting into the Guinness Book of Records for having netted his 10^th Roland Garros title, making him the first-ever player to get into double figures in the same Grand Slam competition.

Written by BayRadio