The XIX World Athletics Championships in Budapest confirmed that Cuba lacks athletes who stand out on the track. The national athletics commissioner Rolando Charroo accepted that it is “essential to look for figures”. In the Hungarian capital it was evident that “we did not have men in the races and the girls have to improve.”
The official media Jit acknowledged debts at the event that took place between August 19 and 27 in Budapest. “There are still no runners capable of sustaining themselves in the elite events such as the 400 and 800 meters and the 100, 110 and 400 hurdles, in which we have had figures of proven success,” he published.
Magazine Play-Off Magazine He emphasized the poor result achieved by the quartet made up of Zurian Hechavarría, Lisneidy Veitía, Rose Mary Almanza and Roxana Gómez. The champions in Poland 2021 In the discipline of 4×400 flat meters they finished their performance in Budapest with a time of 3:29.70 minutes and were far from the final.
The champions in Poland 2021 in the discipline of 4×400 flat meters finished their performance in Budapest with a time of 3:29.70 minutes and were far from the final
Despite the fact that there was improvement with respect to the dismal performance of Eugene 2022 – where no medals were won – “it must be said that Cuban athletics is in a bad moment. Only in the triple jump is there more than one figure and for this reason, the results”, published the same medium.
The Budapest event confirmed that Cuban athletics is in crisis. The terrible conditions for the preparation of athletes have forced several to emigrate. One of those cases was that of Roger Valentín Iribarne who in 2021 asked to leave him due to “lack of motivation”. He found in the Benfica club of Portugal the conditions for his sporting development and last July he won the gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles in the Diamond League held in Silesia, Poland.
Reynier Mena, like Valentín Iribarne, took refuge in the Benfica club. In a year in Portugal he improved his numbers. In July 2022, in La Chaux de Fonds, this sprinter fell below the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash with a time of 9.99 seconds and in the 200-meter he recorded 19.63 seconds.
Last July, the Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo 2020 and indoor world champion in Birmingham (United Kingdom, 2018), Juan Miguel Echevarría, left the Island to join the Benfica club to improve his records.
Although at the XIX World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the Cuban athletes Yasmani Copello (Turkey), Alexis Copello (Azerbaijan), Yasiel Sotelo (Spain) and Arialis Gandulla (Portugal), who defended another flag, did not obtain favorable results, they were referents.
The national athletics commissioner Rolando Charroo showed his enthusiasm with the triple jump athletes. He described as “very good the performance” of Leyanis Pérez (bronze), and of Lázaro Martínez (silver) and Cristian Nápoles (bronze). “We have been able to advance, despite the difficulties we have,” he said without offering details.
In Charroo’s analysis, the escape of Yasmani Fernández is not mentioned. The hammerhead who was included at the last moment in the Cuban team took advantage of the team’s stopover in Paris (France) to dissociate himself from the sport on the Island
Charroo underlined the result obtained in the Hungarian capital, “an event as strong as this, with more than 2,000 athletes from almost 200 countries, to which they all arrive prepared to win.” He recognized the performance of the athletes in the high and long jump, as well as the discus throw, a discipline in which he reached the finals.
In Charroo’s analysis, the escape of Yasmani Fernández is not mentioned. The hammerhead who was included at the last moment in the Cuban team took advantage of the team’s stopover in Paris (France) to dissociate himself from the sport on the Island.
So far in 2023, there are more than 30 Cuban athletes from various specialties who have left the official delegations of the Island during international events, among them, the boxer Yoenlis Hernández and the escape of Denia Caballero, world champion in China and first place at the Toronto Pan American Games (both in 2015), bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (2016) and silver medal at the Doha World Cup in Qatar (2019).
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14 intervene He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
