The Costa Rican National Olympic Committee has donated 1,300 exercise books featuring images of the country’s athletes to school pupils ©CONCRC

The Costa Rican National Olympic Committee (CONCRC) has donated 1,300 exercise books featuring images of the country’s athletes to school pupils.

A total of 205 pupils from the "Las Brisas del Virilla" school in Uruca each received two books.

Joining CONCRC President Henry Núñez Nájera and Deputy Minister of Education Marcos Fallas in distributing the books to the children were sprinter Nery Brenes, long-distance runner Gabriela Traña and Rio 2016 cycling hopeful Andrey Fonseca.

The English school in San Rafael de Montes de Oca will be the second to participate in the programme, with 430 pupils receiving exercise books.

It is hoped the number of books distributed will double to 2,600 in 2017.

The highlight of Brenes’ career came in 2012, when he won gold in the 400 metres event at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Traña competed in the marathon at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and London 2012, where she was Costa Rica’s flagbearer during the Opening Ceremony.

Sprinter Nery Brenes was among the Costa Rican athletes distributing the books
Sprinter Nery Brenes was among the Costa Rican athletes distributing the books ©Getty Images

At London 2012, Costa Rica failed to add to their overall Olympic medal haul which is made up of one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

All four of their medals have come in swimming with Claudia Poll winning gold in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Atlanta 1996 Games.

She took bronze in the same event at Sydney 2000, where she also rounded out the women’s 400m freestyle podium.

Poll’s older sister Silvia won Costa Rica’s first-ever Olympic medal at the Seoul 1988 Games, claiming silver in the women’s 200m freestyle.