Irati Mitxelena: Spain’s Dual-Career Athlete-Scientist

Personal Information: Irati Mitxelena was born on July 3, 1998, in Donostia (San Sebastián), Spain, making her 27 years old. She represents a remarkable example of the modern athlete-scientist, successfully combining world-class athletic performance with cutting-edge scientific research. She competes for Atlético San Sebastián and holds World Athletics athlete code 14621527.

Track and Field Achievements

Personal Bests and Current Status:

• Long Jump: 6.70 meters (August 14, 2025)
• Triple Jump: 13.39 meters (September 27, 2020)
• 100 Meters: 11.59-11.60 seconds (2021-2022)
• 60 Meters: 7.44 seconds (January 30, 2021 – San Sebastián)

Current World Rankings:

• #36 globally in women’s long jump
• #22 in European long jump rankings
• Spanish National Champion in long jump

2025 World Championships: Irati achieved her biggest career milestone by qualifying for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. She secured her spot with a crucial 6.70m jump on August 14, 2025, meeting the Spanish Federation’s requirement. She competed in the long jump qualification round on September 13, 2025, representing Spain on the sport’s biggest stage.

National Championship Success:

• Spanish National Champion in long jump (senior level)
• Spanish U23 National Champion in long jump (2018 – 6.26m personal best at the time)
• Runner-up in Spanish U23 triple jump (2018 – 13.14m)
• Spanish Indoor Long Jump Champion
• Two-time Spanish National Champion in triple jump
• Multiple podium finishes in Spanish national competitions

Educational Background and Academic Excellence

University of Cincinnati (2016-2020): Irati pursued her undergraduate education in the United States, competing for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats track and field program. Her academic and athletic achievements at UC were remarkable:

Athletic Achievements at UC:

• Multiple-time AAC (American Athletic Conference) All-Conference honors
• 2nd place AAC Indoor Championships – Triple Jump (freshman year, 12.88m – school record)
• 2nd place AAC Outdoor Championships – Triple Jump (freshman year)
• 3rd place AAC Championships in both long jump and triple jump (sophomore year)
• Qualified for NCAA East Preliminary Round in triple jump
• Holds #2 all-time marks at UC in both long jump (6.26m) and triple jump (13.14m)
• Set UC freshman record in triple jump

University of the Basque Country: After her undergraduate studies at Cincinnati, Irati completed her Master’s degree at Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea in the Basque Country, continuing her scientific education closer to home.

Professional Career in Scientific Research

CIC bioGUNE Researcher: Irati currently works as a researcher at CIC bioGUNE (Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences) in Donostia, one of Spain’s premier biomedical research institutions. She is pursuing her PhD as a Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno Predoctoral Fellow.

Research Specialization:

• Field: Biotechnology, gene editing, and Neuroscience
• Laboratory: Synthetic Biology Laboratory under Prof. Raul Pérez-Jiménez
• Focus Areas: Enzyme design, molecular evolution, structural design, CRISPR gene editing, DNA synthesis and transformation
• Research Applications: Industrial biotechnology, biomass conversion, new biomaterials, and human health applications

Recent Scientific Contributions: Irati’s research has contributed to cutting-edge scientific publications, including work on:

• Type I collagen mutations and their impact (published in Bone)
• Extracellular RNA research (presented at international conferences)
• CRISPR-Cas nuclease development using ancestral sequence reconstruction
• Enzyme design for biotechnology applications

International Research Collaboration: She participates in the BioUPGRADE project, a European research initiative focused on developing biocatalysts for structural biopolymers in high-value biomaterials, collaborating with institutions across Europe.

Personal Interests and Lifestyle

Martial Arts Background: Irati holds a black belt in Judo, demonstrating her lifelong commitment to physical discipline and athletic excellence beyond track and field.

Social Media Presence: She maintains an active Instagram account (@iratimtxln) with over 3,000 followers, where she shares her dual life as an athlete and scientist. Her bio reflects her identity: “✨Atleta 🏃🏼‍♀️Long jumper for @atletismo.atleticoss 🏡 Donostia @basque_team @scientifficnutrition 🏋🏼‍♀️💪🏾☕️🏃🏼‍♀️🤭🥗🌅”

Basque Identity: Irati proudly represents her Basque heritage and is affiliated with @basque_team, demonstrating strong regional identity and cultural pride.

Nutrition and Training Philosophy: Her social media presence indicates interests in scientific nutrition (@scientifficnutrition), fitness, healthy eating, and sunrise training sessions, reflecting a holistic approach to athletic and personal wellness.

The Challenge of Dual Careers

Daily Schedule: Irati’s remarkable dedication is evident in her daily routine: “In the morning I go to work at BioGUNE, after work I go to train, I get home quite late, shower, have dinner and go to sleep. I don’t have much time for myself, really.”

Career Balance Philosophy: Despite the challenges, she remains committed to both paths: “I continue to balance athletics and research because although it’s hard, I like it.” She acknowledges that while her research career provides stability, she would like to dedicate more time to athletics in the future.

World Championships Preparation: To compete at the 2025 World Championships, Irati saved her vacation days from her research position, demonstrating the careful planning required to maintain her dual career. She spent her vacation time competing in Tokyo, showing her strategic approach to balancing both commitments.

Athletic Development and Progression

Early Career Success: Irati’s progression has been remarkable, moving from promising junior athlete to world-class senior competitor. Her development accelerated during her time at University of Cincinnati, where she broke school records and competed at the NCAA level.

Technical Excellence: Her proficiency in multiple events (long jump, triple jump, sprints) demonstrates exceptional athletic versatility and technical ability. Her progression from 6.26m in 2018 to 6.70m in 2025 shows continued improvement at the highest level.

Competition Experience: From collegiate competition in the United States to Spanish national championships to the 2025 World Championships, Irati has gained experience across different competitive environments and cultures.

Future Aspirations and Goals

Athletic Ambitions: While balancing her scientific career, Irati continues to pursue excellence in long jump, with her 2025 World Championships appearance representing a career pinnacle and potentially a stepping stone to future major championships.

Scientific Career: As a PhD candidate in biotechnology and synthetic biology, she’s positioned for a distinguished career in scientific research, contributing to fields with significant societal impact including gene editing and biomaterials.

Role Model Status: Irati represents the possibility of excelling in multiple demanding fields simultaneously, serving as an inspiration for student-athletes and young scientists who don’t want to choose between passions.

Achievements Timeline

• 2016-2020: University of Cincinnati – Multiple conference honors, school records
• 2018: Spanish U23 Champion (long jump), Runner-up (triple jump)
• 2020: Spanish National Champion titles in multiple events
• 2021-2024: Continued national-level success while pursuing graduate studies
• 2025: World Championships qualification and competition

Impact and Legacy

Dual-Career Pioneer: Irati demonstrates that it’s possible to compete at the highest levels of international athletics while pursuing cutting-edge scientific research, challenging traditional notions that elite sport requires complete singular focus.

Basque Athletics: As a prominent Basque athlete, she represents her region with pride on national and international stages, contributing to the strong tradition of Basque athletics.

Women in STEM: Her success in biotechnology research, particularly in emerging fields like synthetic biology and gene editing, positions her as a role model for women pursuing careers in STEM fields.

Scientific Communication: Through her social media presence and public interviews, she helps bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding, making complex biotechnology concepts more accessible.

Career Specialties: Long jump (primary), triple jump, sprint events
Training Base: Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain
Club: Atlético San Sebastián
World Athletics Code: 14621527
Research Institution: CIC bioGUNE
Current Status: Active competitor and PhD researcher

Irati Mitxelena represents the evolution of the modern athlete: highly educated, scientifically minded, and capable of excellence in multiple demanding fields. Her journey from American collegiate athletics to Spanish national team representation, combined with her parallel success in biotechnology research, makes her a unique figure in contemporary sport. Her story demonstrates that athletic excellence and intellectual achievement can not only coexist but can enhance each other, creating a more complete and impactful career than either path might offer alone. As she continues to push boundaries in both long jump and synthetic biology, she embodies the potential for athletes to contribute to society in multiple meaningful ways.

Go Irati!