The city of Santa Fe hosted the 85th edition of the National Championships of Argentina last 2 and 3 July, where throwers Jorge Balliengo and Karina Moya provided the best performances of the meet.
Both throwers are born in the province of Santa Fe, and 27 year-old Balliengo, from Rosario, won the Discus with a 60.37m mark, ahead of 36-year-old veteran Marcelo Pugliese (59.54m). Pugliese has the record of victories in the event with 13 gold medals, but Balliengo showed why he has taken over the leadership in the Discus, where he holds the South American record with 64.69m.
Thirty-one year-old Moya, from Santa Fe, delivered her seasons’ best in the Hammer with a 62.36m toss, a new Championship record, in the absence of the area record holder Jennifer Dahlgren (67.07m) who couldn’t be present in Santa Fe.
Only 2 Championship records were obtained. The other came in the 110m Hurdles, by Leandro Peyrano, who ran 14.26 in the heats, and later a wind-aided 14.35 in the final.
After the event, Argentina chose its team for the upcoming South American Championships, which will take place in Cali, Colombia, from 22 to 24 July. The team will be composed of 24 athletes - 13 women and 21 men.
Among those selected for Cali were pole vaulter Alejandra García, who won her event for the eleventh consecutive time with a 4.15m jump. García, an Olympic finalist in Athens, has jumped 4.30m this season, and will have to deliver a good performance in Cali to retain the South American title she has won 4 times out of the 5 it was contested at the Area championships. Her toughest opponents will be Brazilians Joana Costa and Fabiana Murer, Venezuelan Keisa Monterola, Colombian Milena Agudelo and Chilean Carolina Torres.
Other hopes of victory for Argentina shall be in the shoulders of Juan Ignacio Cerra (Hammer), Enrique Aguirre and Santiago Lorenzo (Decathlon) and Solange Witteveen (High Jump).
Argentina expects to be fighting for the second place in the points’ classification along with Colombia and Venezuela. Brazil, the South American leader, should have a clear advantage over its regional rivals.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
