Virgilijus Alekna competing at the 2006 World Cup (© Getty Images)
In the last few days the organisers of the 28th edition of the Madrid International on the 4 July at the Moratalaz Sports Centre, have announced a number of new high profile additions to the start list.
The Madrid International is a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
In the men’s Discus Throw, Mario Pestano and Frank Casañas the two best Spanish athletes in this discipline will face 2000 and 2004 Olympic and 2003 and 2005 World champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania.
At 37, Alekna is one of the greatest Discus ever throwers. With an impressive physique for this specialty (2m and 130 kilos), Alekna has achieved, in addition to his global victories one European title in Gothenburg in 2006 and is the second furthest thrower of all-time, with his 73.88 metres which he threw in 2000 only bettered by the World record of Germany’s Jürgen Schult (74.08 in 1986).
The 2008 Olympic bronze medallist will face Spanish opponents of the highest quality. Spanish record holder Mario Pestano (born 8th April 1978 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife), threw his national record of 69.50 metres to finish third on the world season list in 2008, and was ninth in Beijing. Frank Casañas (born in 16th October 1978) set his personal best of 67.91 metres last year and finished fifth in Beijing.
Silva and Aldama too
Also announced for the Madrid meeting are Portugal’s current European Indoor 1500m champion Rui Silva and Sudanese triple jumper Yamilé Aldama.
Rui Silva, at 31 has had an impressive career in the middle distance running, including two global outdoor bronze medals - 2004 Olympics and 2005 World Champs - and was World Indoor champion in 2001.
Silva, who in Madrid will face the best Spanish specialists at the distance, has a personal best is 3:30.07, achieved in 2002. This year he has performed 3:34.18, a time which gave him the victory in the Huelva meeting.
Aldama, is a veteran athlete (36-years-old) with a long career in the Triple Jump. She has performed nine times over 15 metres with a personal best of 15.29 metres, the fifth best in the all-time list.
Of Cuban origin, Aldama achieved the silver medal in the 1999 World Championships. She changed her citizenship for Sudan in the beginning of 2004, and for her new country obtained the silver medal in the World Indoor Championships of that year and the bronze medal in this same competition two years later. This year she has jumped 14.48 metres on 1 June in Haniá, Greece.
Ignacio Mansilla for the IAAF
