Yargelis Savigne of Cuba in the Triple Jump final (© Getty Images)
Yargelis Savigne and Osniel Tosca tripled jumped 14.99m and 17.52m respectively to lead a Cuban sweep of success last week (9 -12 May) at the 2nd ALBA Games in the Brjgido Iriarte Stadium in the Venezuelan capital.
Elsewhere on the programme of competition - World and Olympic women’s Javelin Throw champion Osleidys Menendez made her first competitive outing in 10 months; World High Jump silver medallist Victor Moya soared to 2.31m in the men’s High Jump; Michel Herrera sped to a surprising 20.31-200m win to confirm Cubans are ready for higher goals this summer.
Double success
World Championship Triple Jump silver medallist Savigne sealed a perfect week with two victories. Two days after claiming the Long Jump title (6.60), Savigne showed great form in her main event, landing at 14.99.
Savigne opened her series with 14.24, followed by the 14.99m PB in almost no wind (0.7). She backed it up with 14.89 twice and 14.88, before ending with a foul.
“I feel in great form and am trying to achieve what I could not do in 2006 as my last season ended in July due to illness. I missed the 15 metres by a bit, but I know I have them in my legs”, said the happy 22-year old, who erased her 14.91 PB from 2006.
Her countrywoman Mabel Gay also had a good day with 14.57m for second, ahead of Venezuela’s Jennifer Arvelaez (13.63).
Tosca continues breakthorough
In the men’s Triple Jump, 21-year-old Osniel Tosca proved again that his successful indoor breakthrough was no fluke as he pulled himself to a 17.52m leap.
Unchallenged after an opening 17.09m, the 2001 World Youth Championships bronze medallist improved to 17.15 in the third. After passing the fourth round and a poor 15.73 in the fifth, he saved the best for last with his PB effort.
“There are so many good triple jumpers in Cuba, Betanzos, Giralt, Copello, and Quesada. I was fortunate to be selected for these Games and I hope to stay consistent in the European season to make the national team for the Pan American Games and the World Championships in Osaka,” stated Tosca.
His compatriot and former World champion (1997) Yoelbi Quesada was a distant second in 16.87. Venezuela’s Ronald Belisario (15.99) rounded out the podium spots.
In the Long Jump, 22-year old NACAC Under 23 champion Wilfredo Martinez continued his steady progress and managed to execute a good leap of 8.17m to win the gold medal, ahead of his countryman Jairo Guibert (7.69) and Esteban Copland (7.55).
Moya, Herrera and Cuba excel
Helsinki High Jump runner-up Victor Moya also excelled with a clear victory in clearing 2.31m in his first attempt. Venezuela’s Beltran Leon (2.16) and Albert Bravo (2.10) were distant second and third, respectively.
On the track, Michel Herrera was the highlight of tournament as the 22-year-old blazed to a 20.31 win in the 200m, with a maximum allowed wind speed of 2.0.
Aided by the city’s 900m altitude, Herrera made a huge progress from his previous best of 20.82 he ran a day before in the semifinals.
Olympic women’s Shot put champion Yumileidi Cumba took the Shot Put in 18.24m and saw her countrywoman Mailin Vargas break the 18-meter barrier for the first time (18.08). Chile’s South American junior record holder Natalia Duco completed the podium in 16.59.
Menendez returns
In the throws, Menendez used the ALBA Games as her first competitive test in 10 months as she last competed at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, in July 2006.
With a 3-5 step run-up, the 27-year-old could only manage two valid efforts (58.28 in the first round and 58.98 in the third) and had to be content with the silver medal, behind her countrywoman Maria Caridad Alvarez, the winner in 59.95.
The World record holder tried to extend her run-up in the last round, but lack of coordination resulted in another foul.
“It’s always difficult coming back after 10 months, but I am confident. We have time to get to the Pan Am Games in good form and then the World Championships. I need to synchronize my run-up more but it was good to break the ice after a long absence”, commented Menendez.
Colombia’s Zuleima Aramendiz (55.69) was third, ahead of Nicaragua’ Dalila Rugama, who broke her own national record with 55.28.
In the men’s event, Guillermo Martinez made the 800gm implement fly to 83.02m, very close to his season’s best of 83.84. Twenty-two year old compatriot Anier Boué moved close to the 80m barrier with a 79.14 effort, while Colombia’s Arley Ibarguen (76.97).
Other notable performances came in the women’s Hammer Throw and Discus Throw, thanks to World and Olympic silver medallist Yipsi Moreno (70.44) and Olympic finalist Yania Ferrales (64.18).
Elsewhere at the Games…
2006 CAC Games bronze medallist Gretchen Quintana ran a 2:13.43 800m to become the third Cuba to break the 6000 point barrier in the Heptathlon (6076); Eighteen-year old Omar Cisneros ran a new Cuban junior record when winning the 400m hurdles in 49.57.
Expected to make her season’s debut here, Helsinki World 800m champion Zulia Calatayud has seen her training programme delayed due to injury. She expects to be in top form for the Pan Am Games. Some of the Cuba’s other top athletes like hurdler Dayron Robles and triple jumper Yoandri Betanzos stayed home training.
Overview
Cuba won 37 of the 46 events contested. The host country Venezuela took three gold medals while Colombia, Panama El Salvador, Peru, Chile and Honduras achieved one gold each. Barbados, Nicaragua and Bolivia also won at least one medal.
In total 29 championships records were broken (15 women and 14 men).
History
ALBA stands for the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, a political, economic and social integration bloc created in 2004 by Venezuela and Cuba. Nicaragua, Bolivia and other Latin American countries have joined.
The first ALBA Games were held in Havana, June 2005 and the second edition draw around 5.000 athletes from more than 30 countries in over 30 sports. The third edition will be held in Cuba in 2009.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
ALBA champions for 2007:
Women
100m 11.35 (1.5) Virgen Benavides CUB CR
200m 22.98 (1.9) Roxana Díaz CUB CR
400m 51.99 Indira Terrero CUB CR
800m 2:07.14 Ana A. Peña CUB
1500m 4:29.89 Yadira Bataille CUB
5000m 16:57.98 Yudisleivis Castillo CUB
10,000m 35:42.01 Norelys Lugo
Half Marathon 1:17:53 Mariela González CUB CR
3000m ST 11:32.24 Rocio Huilca PER CR
400m H 56.98 Daimí Pernía CUB CR
100m H 14.31 (0.1) Jeimy Bernárdez HON
HJ 1.85 Caterine Ibarguen COL
PV 4.15 Yarisley Silva CUB CR
LJ 6.60 (-0.7) Yargelis Savigne CUB CR
TJ 14.99 (0.7) Yargelis Savigne CUB CR
SP 18.24 Yumileidi Cumba CUB CR
DT 64.18 Yania Ferrales CUB CR
HT 70.44 Yipsi Moreno CUB CR
JT María de la C. Alvarez CUB CR
20km W 1:38:15 Leysi Rodríguez CUB CR
Heptathlon 6076 Gretchen Quintana CUB CR
(13.65-1.74-13.53-24.32-6.36-34.05-2:13.34)
4x100m 43.86 Cuba (Benavides, Díaz, Lazo, Martínez) CR
4X400m 3:38.77 Cuba (Clement, Pernia, Terrero, Peña)
Men
100m 10.25nwi Edward Alonso PAN
200m 20.31 (2.0) Michel Herrera CUB
400m 45.68 Williams Collazo CUB CR
800m 1:47.25 Yeimer López CUB CR
1500m 3:42.43 Maury S. Castillo CUB CR
5000m 14:06.40 Freddy González VEN
10,000m 30:14.33 Aguelmis Rojas CUB CR
Half Marathon 1:07:18 Lervis Arias VEN
3000m ST 8:49.12 José A. Sánchez CUB CR
110m H 13.70 (0.6) Yoel Hernández CUB CR
400m H 49.57 Omar Cisneros CUB CR
HJ 2.31 Víctor Moya CUB CR
PV 4.95 Francisco Navas CHI
LJ 8.17 (0.9) Wilfredo Martinez CUB CR
TJ 17.52 (1.0) Osniel Tosca CUB CR
SP 19.54 Carlos Veliz CUB CR
DT 56.83 Jorge Fernández CUB
HT 70.74 Noleysis BICET CUB
JT 83.02 Guillermo Martínez CUB
20km W 1:29:44 Salvador Mira ESA CR
Decathlon 7526 Yosley Azcuy CUB
(10.94-7.45-13.58-1.93-49.58/14.26/43.81-4.00-55.18-5:13.06)
4x100m 39.23 Cuba (Lescay, Hernández, Herrera, Vizcaíno) CR
4x400m 3:06.84 Cuba (Collazo, Cisneros, Copello, López) CR
