Ivan Pedroso (Cuba) jumping at the 2002 World Cup (© Getty Images)
Reigning Olympic champions Ivan Pedroso and Anier Garcia will return to competition later this month, heading a 15-member Cuban team that will tackle the 2004 international indoor season, in the hope of good performances at the World Indoors in Budapest en route to Olympic medals in Athens.
Plagued by injuries in 2003, Pedroso and Garcia were far form their best form last year and respectively were only rewarded with the Pan American title and the World Indoor championships silver medal.
Pedroso
"I am in good physical and psychological condition,” confirmed Pedroso. “I have taken good care of myself and worked very closely with my physician and physiotherapist. I just hope to be same Ivan Pedroso I used to be,” confirmed Cuba's most decorated athlete.
Although it is not his main priority, Pedroso will aim for his 10th World title - he has won five indoor and four outdoor golds – in Budapest (5-7 March). He previously claimed indoor gold in Toronto'93, Barcelona'95, Paris'97, Maebashi'99 and Lisbon'2001 but missed Birmingham last year due to injury.
"Ivan is training very well and if he keeps himself motivated and stays healthy, he can jump for two or three more years. We hope he will jump 8.30-8.40 metres this winter", explained his coach Milan Matos.
Garcia
With a second Olympic title in sight, high hurdler Anier Garcia admits he wants to be certain that he has totally recovered from injury so he is ready for the summer.
"I am training with Athens in my mind and I will take on the indoor season to assess my form after some months out of competition", commented the 26-year old, who has the 1997 World Indoor title and two silvers (2001 and 2003) in his pedigree. He is expected to start his indoor campaign in Stuttgart, on 31 January.
Santiago Antunez, Garcia's coach and the national technical director, insists that the indoor season and the Budapest championships are a serious part of their preparations for Athens.
"This is the first time the World Indoor Championships have coincided with an Olympic season, so our athletes will compete in Europe in preparation for the Games. Also many of those who will stay back in Havana will also compete to see how their training has progressed,” explained Antunez.
Betanzos
On the European indoor tour both Pedroso and Garcia will be supported by triple jumper Yoandri Betanzos, the World silver medallist, who has shown impressive early season form as he improved his nine-step approach personal best to 17.10 metres a week ago.
"I first want to adapt myself to the track, as I has never jumped indoors. Once I am used to it, I will try to jump 17.40-17.50 and aim for a medal in Budapest. I then intend to add 20-30 cm to my personal best outdoors for a good performance in Athens", said the 21-year old Pan American champion.
Betanzos will make his indoor debut in Samara, Russia on 29 January, as will Pedroso.
Talented squad
Other notable names in the Cuban squad include 2003 World Indoor Triple Jump bronze medallist Yoelbi Quesada, Pan American champions Yunier Hernandez (60m Hurdles), Mabel Gay (Triple Jump) and Yumileidi Cumba (Shot).
”As for all athletes, my focus is to make the Cuban team for the Olympic Games in Athens. But we have these competitions first and we will do our best. I want to make it to the final and then aim for a medal in Budapest", stated Yunier Hernandez.
The team also features Olympic Long Jump finalist Luis Felipe Meliz, sprinter Virgen Benavides, hurdlers Yoel Hernandez, Dainelky Perez and 2002 World Junior champion Anay Tejeda, high jumper Lisvany Perez and shot putter Alexis Paumier.
World Junior Triple Jump champion David Giralt, who was fourth in Paris last summer, is recovering from a minor injury and is expected to join the team in Europe in February.
Based in Spain
The squad, led by Santiago Antunez, will be based in Guadalajara, Spain, and each athlete will have 2 to 5 meetings prior to Budapest, depending on their own competition interests. Except Betanzos and Giralt, all athletes in the group have had indoor experience.
Good memories of Budapest’89
Cuba has good memories of Budapest, where it achieved its first World titles in 1989, when Javier Sotomayor won the High Jump and Andres Simon became the surprising winner of the 60 metres in the 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships Overall, the island has clinched 27 World Indoor medals, including 13 titles.
