German Chiaraviglio of Argentina winner of the men's Pole Vault (© Getty Images)
A period of poor weather marked the 4 opening stops of the South American regional Grand Prix which were held on Argentinean territory. Rain and wind dominated the events held in Santa Fe, Rosario, Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires from 3 March to 15 March. The competitions marked the beginning of the most important events of the calendar in the area.
Yet, under those circumstances, 2 athletes from Santa Fe, Pole Vault’s World Junior and Youth Champion Germán Chiaraviglio, and Pan American Games Champion Juan Ignacio Cerra produced the best performances.
Chiaraviglio, competing following a successful European indoor season where he set a new South American record of 5.60m at Donetsk on 10 February, won in his hometown of Santa Fe (5 March) with 5.55m, Mar del Plata (11 March) with 5.50m, and Buenos Aires (15 March) with 5.55m.
The 30-year-old Cerra, South American record holder at the Hammer Throw with 76.42m, took his event at all 4 stops. His winning performances were: 71.11m (Santa Fe, 3 March), 68.54m (Rosario, 8 March), 69.51m (Mar del Plata, 10 March) and 72.50m (Buenos Aires, 15 March). Cerra is now being coached by Adrián Marzo after a discreet 2006 where he only picked up his best performances in the last part of the season.
Verni and Balliengo set the tone at SP and DT
In spite of being somehow far from their best performances, two other South American record holders left its mark at these 4 competitions.
In the Shot Put, Chilean Marco Antonio Verni, the Area record holder with 21.14m, claimed the victory in Santa Fe, Rosario and Mar del Plata, and his best performance was 19.39 at Santa Fe. Yet, in Buenos Aires, he ended up second to Argentinean Germán Lauro, a 19.78m performer, who beat him 18.85, to 18.77m.
Discus thrower Jorge Balliengo, who now bases his training in Italy and has switched coaches to Nicola Candeloro, produced his best result at his hometown of Rosario: 59.75m. He also won in Santa Fe (58.68m), Mar del Plata (57.03m) and Buenos Aires (59.41m). The 29-year-old set the Area record last season with 66.32m.
Impressive beginning for Andrés Silva
Versatile Uruguayan Andrés Silva, former 2003 IAAF World Youth champion at the Octathlon, who is now focusing on the 400 and 400m Hurdles, set a new national record at the hurdles with a 50.40 clocking obtained in Mar del Plata on 11 March.
Also, at Buenos Aires, a Brazilian 4x100m team (Nílson André, Basílio de Morães, Jorge Célio Sena, Cláudio Sousa) recorded a sub-40-seconds clock: 39.98.
Good return for Alejandra García
Before the dramatic development of Brazilian Fabiana Murer, the South American Pole Vault was dominated for several years by the now-33-year-old-veteran Alejandra García from Argentina. García collected Pan American, Ibero-American and South American titles from 1999 to 2002 took part at the 2004 Athens Olympic final, and had the area record until 2006 with a 4.43m vault (2004).
After a 2006 season plagued with injuries, García returned to a winning path with victories at all 4 meets, while jumping 4.20m 2 times (Santa Fe and Mar del Plata). She now hopes to achieve the standard to compete at the 2007 IAAF World Championships at Osaka, hoping to later close her career at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Brazilian activity
The warm weather in the Southern hemisphere is always an invitation to set good marks at the end of the indoor season, and that’s exactly what Brazilian jumpers Maurren Maggi and Keila Costa did in São Paulo on 28 February at one of the meets organized by the Paulista Federation.
Maggi, who long jumped 6.69m indoors in Europe, produced the second furthest ever Triple Jump in South America with a 14.44m performance (wind 0.7 m/s). Maurren has the area record with 14.53m from 2003. Her series in São Paulo was: 13.85/0.4; 14.32; 14.26; 14.11; p; 14.44/0.7.
Costa pushed her until the end after taking the lead in the fifth round with a PB of 14.43m (wind -0.8 m/s).
Nelio Moura, coach of both athletes, as well as long jumpers Irving Saladino (PAN) and Louis Tristán (PER) was very satisfied with the results obtained by his athletes in the first part of the year.
“We used these competitions as tests, and in all cases they gave us good feedback. My main goal is to have everybody in top form for the Pan-American Games – the Brazilian athletes – but some of them could also be a factor in Osaka, like Maurren. This season could be the one to provide us a breakthrough from Keila Costa (a medalist at the 2002 IAAF World Junior Championships), and also from Laurice Félix, who so far has jumped 6.53 and 13.95w,” said Moura.
At the same meet of 28 February in São Paulo, Olympic and World Championship finalist Matheus Inocêncio won the 110m Hurdles with 13.63 (wind nil), while Josiane Tito set a PB at 400m with a remarkable time of 51.89.
Nazareno impresses in Ecuador
Talented Ecuadorian sprinter Franklin Nazareno, a 200m finalist at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, set a new 100m national record at the “Festival Olímpico Ecuatoriano”, held in Cuenca (2561m of altitude) on 10 / 11 March.
On 10 March, Nazareno (24 April 1987) ran 10.22 (wind 1.1 m/s), leaving Hugo Chila, the Triple Jump silver medallist from Beijing in second place with 10.37. Chila also won the Long Jump in 7.43m (wind nil) and the Triple Jump with 15.70m (wind -1.4 m/s).
Also at the beginning of yet another season is the Ecuadorian waking legend of Jefferson Pérez, who claimed the 10,000m victory at his hometown with a good high-altitude time of 40:55.0. 32 year-old Pérez, the 1996 20Km Olympic Champion, 2003 and 2005 World Champion and record holder at the distance is also hoping to put an end to his career at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
South American GP results (event winners)
Santa Fe (3 and 5 March)
Men
100m (-1.1): Jorge Célio Sena BRA 10.53; 1500m: Leandro de Oliveira BRA 3:43.63; 400mh: Andrés Silva URU 50.77; PV: Germán Chiaraviglio ARG 5.55; SP: Marco Antonio Verni CHI 19.39; DT: Jorge Balliengo ARG 58.68; HT: Juan Cerra ARG 71.11; 4x100m: BRA 40.80.
Women
100mh (-1.0): Gilvaneide de Oliveira BRA 14.44; PV: Alejandra García 4.20.
Rosario (8 March)
Men
100m (-0.5): Nílson André BRA 10.54; 200m (-0.4): Basílio de Morães BRA 21.44; 3000m: Santiago Figueroa ARG 8:16.15; HJ: Santiago Guerci, José Luis Breide 2.05; SP: Marco Verni 18.70; DT: Jorge Balliengo 59.75; HT: Juan Cerra 68.54.
Women
100mh (0.0): Gilvaneide de Oliveira 13.69; PV: Alejandra García 4.15.
Mar del Plata (10, 11 March)
Men
100m (2.5): Heber Viera URU 10.31; 400m: Gustavo Aguirre ARG 47.88; 1500m: Leandro de Oliveira 3:45.22; 400mh: Andrés Silva 50.40; PV: Germán Chiaraviglio 5.50; SP: Marco Verni 19.14; DT: Jorge Balliengo 57.03; HT: Juan Cerra 69.51; 4x100: BRA 40.26
Women
3000m: Valeria Rodríguez ARG 9:21.21; 100mh (0.0): Francisca Guzmán CHI 13.92; PV: Alejandra García 4.20
Buenos Aires (14, 15 March)
Men
100m (-3.0): Heber Viera 10.66; 1500m: Leandro de Oliveira 3:42.90; 400mh: Andrés Silva 51.09; PV: Germán Chiaraviglio 5.55; SP: Germán Lauro ARG 18.85; DT: Jorge Balliengo 59.41; Juan Cerra 72.50; 4x100: BRA 39.98
Women
100mh (0.1): Soledad Donzino ARG 13.86; PV: Alejandra García 4.10
