Antonio Jimenez wins at the Spanish Championships (© J.J. Ubeda)
As has become the tradition over the last few years the men’s 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase were the most thrilling and attractive events of the 86th Spanish Championships held throughout the extremely hot (40º C) weekend of 22 / 23 July.
European 1500m indoor silver medallist Juan Carlos Higuero (SB of 3:31.57) and reigning European 3000m Steeplechase champion Antonio Jiménez (SB of 8:11.55) produced cracking performances to make themselves strong medal contenders for the forthcoming Europeans Championships to be staged in Gothenburg (7-13 August). The other highlight of the championships came in the 110m Hurdles thanks to Jackson Quiñónez’s new national record of 13.34.
Confident Higuero destroys all opposition
In addition to Higuero, the men’s 1500m featured the emerging middle-distance talent Arturo Casado who made a major breakthrough last summer by placing 5th at the Helsinki Worlds, this season’s European Cup 3000m winner Sergio Gallardo and reigning European silver medallist Reyes Estévez. The latter was making his 2006 first appearance at his specialist event as several physical problems had hampered so far his summer build-up.
With only three Gothenburg berths on offer the race opened very cautiously with the 800m mark covered by the group in a pedestrian 2:06.25 but it was the soon-to-be 28-year-old Higuero who launched his attack soon afterwards. Running majestically he widened his stride and his rivals were forced to chase him in crocodile file such was Higuero’s sudden change of pace.
The final lap witnessed no major changes as neither Gallardo nor Casado could threaten Higuero’s fourth national crown, his winning time being 3:41.17. The last frantic 700m took 1:34.92 to run.
In second, Gallardo was timed at 3:41.73 while the defending champion Casado had to settle for third on this occasion at 3.42.06. Estévez finished a distant sixth and will miss the Europeans.
An elated Higuero declared: “I clocked 3:31.57 last week in Rome and that result was an enormous morale-booster as I had never run that fast in July. When I read the clock at 800m (2:06) I decided to pull away and not take any risks on a close finish where anyone can give you a scare. I’m in the form of my life and I would like also to contest the 5000m in Gothenburg as I’ve achieved the qualifying time with a solo running of 13:33 earlier this month but that’s Spanish Federation’s decision.”
Unforgettable fight between Quiñónez and Vivancos
The men’s 110m Hurdles didn’t let anyone down as the much-awaited showdown between Jackson Quiñónez and Felipe Vivancos produced a new national record for the Ecuadorian-born Quiñónez, who was timed at 13.34, six one-hundredth of a second quicker than his own previous mark set four weeks ago. The reigning European indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist Felipe Vivancos also smashed his career best by clocking 13.41 both athletes benefiting from the maximum allowable tailwind of 2.0m/s.
A former (1999) European Junior champion Vivancos came out much faster from the blocks than Quiñónez, 0.144 versus 0.192 their respective reaction times. Vivancos seized the leadership but at the sixth barrier Quiñónez started to close. To the delight of the crowd both athletes were virtually equal over the tenth and last barrier with Quiñónez prevailing over Vivancos on the closing dash to the line. In doing so the 26-year-old ended Vivancos’ winning streak of five titles but he won’t be able to represent Spain at the Europeans as he received his new nationality last October and must wait one year (October 2006) to wear the Spanish vest.
Vivancos’ new PB of 13.41 was very special for him. “I skipped the indoor season to focus only on the Europeans and things are going pretty well so far despite some minor injury. At last I managed to run under Javier Moracho’s former national record of 13.42 which stood in the record books for almost 19 years. I hope to improve my current shape in the next couple of weeks to contest the Europeans at my peak.”
Vivancos now ranks sixth among the Gothenburg competitors. Asked on his chances there he admits, “France’s Ladji Doucouré (slightly injured) and Latvia’s Stanislav Olijar aside the theoretical bronze medal is wide open and I’ll try to be in the hunt.”
Untouchable Jiménez
Antonio Jiménez Pentinel, better known as ‘Penti’ on the athletics circuit seems determined to retain the European 3000m Steeplechase title he managed in Munich four years ago. On Saturday night (22) the 29-year-old faced the stiff opposition of José Luis Blanco (SB of 8:12.86), César Pérez (8:13:06), 2003 World bronze medallist Eliseo Martín and Spanish record holder at 8:07.44 Luis Miguel Martín.
The event became a cagey affair with the opening two kilometres covered in 5:50.60 which strengthened Penti’s chances of succeeding given his trade-mark devastating final kick. After the last water jump Penti stamped his authority to romp home in 8:30.97 well ahead of Pérez (8:31.57,) while Blanco managed the third berth for Gothenburg as he kept Eliseo Martín at bay over the closing metres. Back in fifth Luis Miguel Martín, now 34 years of age and struggling with an Achilles tendon injury all the season, will be absent from a major championships for the first time the since 1998.
Other events...
2005 European Cup winner Jesús España produced an overwhelming 13:41.02 win in the men’s 5000m thanks to a 54 seconds final lap while reigning European champion Alberto García had to settle for seventh and won’t be able to defend his title in Gothenburg. Ángel Rodríguez snatched the men’s 100m title in a massive PB of 10.24 with a following wind of 1.0.
Mario Pestano clinched the Discus Throw gold medal thanks to a SB of 66.31m, while Manuel Martínez recorded his 13th (!) national Shot Put title with a 20.29m heave.
In the absence through injury of the five-time national champion and record holder Antonio Reina, this year’s European Cup winner Juan De Dios Jurado captured a convincing win in the men’s 800m taking a tactical 1:49.02 victory from Miguel Quesada and Manuel Olmedo.
It’s worth mentioning that a man like Eugenio Barrios who has run 1:45 this year won’t be able to make the Spanish team as he only placed fifth yesterday and the Gothenburg berths will go for Jurado, Quesada and Olmedo, all of them also holders of 1:45 times this year.
On the women’s side two of the main Spanish medal hopes for Gothenburg middle-distance runner Mayte Martínez and high jumper Ruth Beitia were comfortable victors in their specialist events. The former clocked 2:07.82 in a slow 800m while Beitia’s 1.92 first time clearance was enough to take the High Jump title.
Glory Alozie snatched another win in the 100m Hurdles (12.89), while Concha Montaner and evergreen former (1999) World champion Niurka Montalvo (38 years of age) produced valid efforts of 6.69 and 6.63 respectively in the women’s Long Jump.
Rosa Morató took the 3000m Steeplechase with a 9.49.26 performance and three more athletes dipped under 9:55.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
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Spanish Team for Gothenburg (Season best in brackets)
Men
100m - Ángel Rodríguez (10.24), Orkatz Beitia (10.37), Iván Mocholí (10.40)
200m - Josué Mena (20.85)
400m - David Testa (46.42)
800m - Juan de Dios Jurado (1:45.42), Miguel Quesada (1:45.70), Manuel Olmedo (1:45.74)
1500m - Juan Carlos Higuero (3:31.57), Sergio Gallardo (3:34.95), Arturo Casado (3:35.49)
5000m – Jesús España (13:16.74), Pablo Villalobos (13:23.73), Juan Carlos Higuero (13:33.65)
10000m – Juan Carlos de la Ossa (27:50.11), Chema Martínez (28:12.64), Ricardo Serrano (28:22.95)
Marathon – Julio Rey (2h06:52), José Ríos (2h09:15), Chema Martínez (2h11:06), Kamel Ziani (2h14:51), Antonio Peña (2h20:40)
3000m steeplechase – Antonio Jiménez (8:11.55), César Pérez (8:13.06), José Luis Blanco (8:12.86)
110m hurdles – Felipe Vivancos (13.41), Iban Maiza (13.70)
400m hurdles – Iván Rodríguez (49.83), José María Romera (49.80)
High jump – Javier Bermejo (2.20)
Long jump – Joan Lino Martínez (7.52)
Shot put – Manuel Martínez (20.58)
Discus – Mario Pestano (66.31)
Decathlon – Agustín Félix (7845p), Óscar González (7498)
20km Walk- Francisco Fernández (1h18:31), Juan Manuel Molina (1h21.09), Benjamín Sánchez (1h22:24)
50km Walk – Mikel Odriozola (3h44:59), Jesús Ángel García (3h46:11), José Alejandro Cambil (3h51:32)
4x100m relay: Ángel Rodríguez, Orkatz Beitia, Iván Mocholí, Diego Santos (10.38), Josué Mena (10.44)
4x400m relay: David Testa, Salvador Rodríguez (46.78), David Melo (46.79), Santiago Ezquerro (46.80), José María Romera (47.23), Iván Rodríguez (47.69)
Women
100m - Belén Recio (11.57)
200m - Belén Recio (23.39)
800m - Mayte Martínez (1:59.60), Esther Desviat (2:04.03)
1500m – Nuria Fernández (4:12.22), Eva Arias (4:11.62)
5000m – Marta Domínguez (16:25.21)
10000m – Marta Domínguez (32:46.23), Elena Moreno (32:46.60), Yesenia Centeno (32:48.36)
Marathon – María José Pueyo (2h33:30)
3000m steeplechase – Rosa Morató (9:42.51), Zulema Fuentes-Pila (9:44.78), Diana Martín (9:54.44)
100m hurdles – Glory Alozie (12.82), Arantza Loureiro (13.38), Aliuska López (13.40)
400m hurdles – Cora Olivero (55.70), Laia Forcadell (57.26)
High jump – Ruth Beitia (1.96), Marta Mendía (1.90)
Pole vault – Naroa Agirre (4.50), Dana Cervantes (4.25)
Long jump – Concha Montaner (6.72), Niurka Montalvo (6.70)
Triple jump – Carlota Castrejana (14.27), Patricia Sarrapio (13.89)
Hammer – Berta Castells (67.99), Dolores Pedrares (65.66)
Javelin – Mercedes Chilla (61.64)
Heptathlon – María Peinado (5804p)
20km Walk- María José Povés (1h32:05), Beatriz Pascual (1h33.55), María Vasco (1h34:21)
4x100m relay: Belén Recio, Claudia Troppa (11.67), Ruth Conde (11.82), Eva Martín (200m: 23.90), Glory Alozie
