Alexis Copello (CUB) (© AFP / Getty Images)
Women’s World champion Yargelis Savigne, and her male compatriots Alexis Copello, Yoandri Betanzos and David Giralt confirmed the good health of Cuba’s triple jumpers as they produced the highest notes of the athletics tournament at the 3rd ALBA Games at Havana’s Estadio Panamericano, 23-25 April.
Savigne landed at 14.70m and Copello produced a windy 17.69m. However, former World champions Zulia Calatayud (800m) and Osleidys Menendez (Javelin Throw) posted low par performances in their season’s debut.
In the women’s contest Savigne, who had to cut short her indoor season due to a minor injury, opened her series with 14.62, followed by 14.00 and 14.70. Confident with her title defence, she called it a day.
Mabel Gay (14.52w), the 2006 CAC Games champion, and Yarianna Martinez (14.34w) rounded out the Cuban podium, while Venezuela’s Veronica Davis broke 14m for the first time, but she was aided by a 2.2 m/s wind. Her best legal leap was 13.90.
The men’s event was one of the closest competitions in Cuban triple jumping history. Copello prevailed over four-time World championships medallist Yoandri Betanzos and 2008 world indoor runner-up David Giralt, respectively 17.69 to 17.65 to 17.62m.
2008 Olympian Alexis Copello took the lead and the ultimate win with an opening windy 17.69m (3.9 m/s). He fouled in the second round and also his last attempt of the day.
Betanzos opened with 17.02 and leapt to a wind legal 17.65 (1.4) in the fourth round for second place. His jump is the world leading wind legal mark outdoors so far this year, bettering the 17.62 set by Copello in March.
David Giralt, the 2008 World Indoor Champs runner-up and fourth place finisher at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, added 10cm to his personal best with an opening 17.62 (0.2) for what was his only jump to take third overall.
Twenty-year old Yordanis Durañona was fourth with a windy 17.28 and is expected to become the next Cuban to join the wind legal 17m club. Defending champion Osniel Tosca (16.63) was a distant fifth.
“I am currently immersed in an intensive stage in training. When the volume decreases, I should better that mark, but I don’t think or records”, said 23-year old Copello.
“I missed the Olympic final by a just bit. Berlin is in my mind, but I don’t want to feel any pressure. I just want to jump steadily over 17.50 and I will be then ready for Berlin”, he added.
2003 and 2005 World championships silver medallist Betanzos commented: “I need a jump like this after two years plagued by injuries. It gives a lot of confidence and I can think now of the World Championships and a podium in Berlin.”
With three men over 17.60 early this season, each wants to emulate their compatriot Yoelbi Quesada’s World title in Athens 1997. Quesada’s national record of 17.85m, set in the Greek capital then, is also within their reach.
In the Long Jump, 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Ibrahin Camejo jumped a last round exceptionally windy effort of 8.14m (5.0m/s) to win from Olympic fifth place finisher Wilfredo Martinez, who had led from his second attempt of 8.05 (4.2).
On the track, Roberto Skyers confirmed himself as the new Cuban sprint sensation with another convincing display in the 200m. The 17-year-old took his first international title in 20.27 sec, just over the legally allowed wind speed (2.3). Skyers had set a new national junior record (20.24) in March and posted his first international a week earlier in Jamaica (20.38).
Olympic finalist Yeimer Lopez took the 800m race in a convincing 1:45.00 minutes, the third fastest time in the world this year.
Olympic 110m Hurdles champion Dayron Dobles is expected to make his outdoor debut in June.
Emerging women throwing talents deny more heralded compatriots
Yarisley Collado, who had improved her personal best four times this season, bettered it again with a 63.83m toss in the fifth round to take the Discus Throw title, ahead of 2008 Olympic silver and 2007 World silver medallist Yarelis Barrios (63.24).
Collado, who will turn 24 on Thursday, has added almost four metres from her previous best in 2008. She backed up her winning mark with a 63.03m release in the final round.
Chile’s, Karen Pamela Gallardo was third with a national record of 57.48.
In her first official appearance since coming sixth at the Beijing Olympics, former World champion and record holder Osleidys Menéndez had only two valid throws. The furthest (58.09m) was insufficient to beat Yanet Cruz, who is nine years younger. The 2008 CAC silver medallist and 2008 Olympian took the gold with 59.47, far from her personal best of 62.90, set earlier this year.
Mailín Vargas (18.62) and Yaniuvis Lopez (18.47) relegated Olympic fourth place finisher Misleydis Gonzalez (18.41) to third place in the women’s Shot Put.
Yunaika Crawford, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, surpassed the 70m barrier for the first time since 2006 with a championships record of 70.66.
On the track, 2005 World champion Zulia Calatayud won her first 800m race of the season in a slow 2:05.58.
General info
A total of 17 championships records were set and 10 countries won at least one medal at the ALBA Games. The host nation took 42 of the 45 events contested. Ecuador won two titles and Venezuela one. Other medallists represented Colombia, Bolivia, Antigua and Barbuda and France.
In its third edition, the biennial Games of the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA) drew over 2300 athletes from 26 countries in 30 official and four exhibition sports.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
Click here for official games site
2009 ALBA Games athletics champions, all Cubans, except when mentioned.
Women
100m Virgen Benavides 11.33w (3.9)
200m Roxana Diaz 23.31 (0.7)
400m Indira Terrero 51.79 GR
800m Zulia Calatayud 2:05.58
1,500m Yadira Bataille 4:25.92 GR
5,000m Yudisleivis Castillo 16:27.1
10,000m Yudisleivis Castillo 34:36.2 GR
3,000m ST Milena Perez 10:23.14 GR
100 m H Anay Tejeda 12.98 (3.3)
400m H Yadisleidy Pedroso 58.23
HJ Lesyani Mayor 1.84
PV Daylis Caballero 4.00
LJ Dailenis Alcántara 6.33 (0.5)
TJ Yargelis Savigne 14.70 (-0.8)
SP Mailín Vargas 18.62 GR
DT Yanisley Collado 63.86
HT Yunaika Crawford 70.66 GR
JT Yanet Cruz 59.47
Heptathlon Yusleydis Limonta 5326
10km W Yanelis Conte 46:19 GR
4x100m Cuba (Benavides, Casabona, Bience, Luis) 44.93
4x400m Cuba (Calatayud, Lara, Peña, Bonne) 3:35.04 GR
Men
100m Michael Herrera 10.16 GR (1.3)
200m Roberto Skyers 20.27 (2.3)
400m William Collazo 45.74
800m Yeimer Lopez 1:45.00 GR
1,500m Maury Surel Castillo 3:44.12
5,000m Bayron PIEDRA ECU 14:03.13 GR
10,000m Livan Luque 30:25.07
3,000m ST Jose Alberto SANCHEZ 8:40.87 GR
110m H Dayron Capetillo 13.61 GR (0.9)
400m H Omar Cisneros 49.49 GR
HJ Albert Bravo VEN 2.15
PV Lazaro Borges 5.20 GR
LJ Ibrahim Camejo 8.14 (5.0)
TJ Alexis Copello 17.69 w (3.9)
SP Reinaldo Proenza 19.37
DT Jorge Fernandez 61.61 GR
HT Noleisis Bicet 70.88
JT Guillermo Martinez 80.14
Decathlon Yosley Azcuy 7326
20km W Ricardo Lojan ECU 1:30:04
4x100m Cuba (Herrera, Skyers, Hernandez, Gonzalez) 39.77
4x400m Cuba (Ruiz, Gonzalez, Cisneros, Copello) 3:08.17
GR-Games Record
