Defending champion Rodriguez leads Cuban team for Oregon – IAAF World Junior Championships

Yorgelis Rodriguez will defend her heptathlon title later this summer at the IAAF World Junior Championships, which is being held in Eugene, Oregon, on 22-27 July.

Only two other athletes in history – Svetla Dimitrova and Carolina Kluft – have won back-to-back heptathlon titles at the World Junior Championships, and Rodriguez is tipped to follow in their footsteps.

Earlier this year, the 19-year-old improved her PB to 6231 to move into the top 10 on the world junior all-time list, making her a big favourite for a gold medal in Eugene.

She will be one of 10 Cuban athletes set to compete at the World Junior Championships.

Also on the team is world youth triple jump champion Lazaro Martinez, who earlier this year smashed the world youth best with 17.24m.

Cuba’s best hopes on the track rest with 800m runner Sahily Diago, who recently clocked a world-leading 1:57.74 to break the area junior record and move to eighth on the world junior all-time list.

IAAF

Cuban team for Oregon 2014:

MEN
400m hurdles: Jose Luis Gaspar
Triple jump: Andy Diaz, Lazaro Martinez
Decathlon: Santiago Ford

WOMEN
200m: Arialis Gandulla
400m: Gilda Casanova
800m: Sahily Diago
Triple jump: Liadagmis Povea
Shot put: Saily Viart
Heptathlon: Yorgelis Rodriguez