Yargelis Savigne of Cuba competes in the women's Triple Jump final (© Getty Images)
World Triple Jump champion Yargelis Savigne improved her world season leading mark to 14.95m and World silver medallist Guillermo Martinez threw the Javelin to a 2011 world lead of 84.68 in the first leg of the Copa Cuba over the weekend (19 / 20) in Havana.
Savigne confirmed her early season form after landing a jump of 14.92m in February. “I had more but the wind did not help me. I really wanted to achieve my first 15m jump in Cuba,” she said.
World championships silver medallist Mabel Gay followed with 14.65, just a centimetre shy of her personal best. 2004 Olympic finalist Yusmay Bicet produced 14.20m for third.
“My main target is to break the (18-year old) World record (15.50). I have been training very hard and I even lost some weight,” Savigne added. Her personal best of 15.28m, set when winning the 2007 World title, ranks her sixth on the all-time lists.
Under the guidance of coach Milan Matos, Savigne and Gay are scheduled to do a training camp in Guadalajara, the host city of the Pan American Games in Mexico in October, and then in Jamaica, before starting their Samsung Diamond League campaign in Shanghai, on 15 May.
The men’s event was much closer and 2009 World Championships bronze medallist Alexis Copello prevailed with 17.22m, ahead of 2010 World Indoor medallists Yoandri Betanzos (17.18) and David Giralt (17.16).
In the Javelin Throw, Guillermo Martinez achieved his third best throw on home soil (84.68), a world leading mark.
“I feel in top form. I was ready to throw 84 metres in the first stage of my training. I am aiming for another podium in Daegu,” confirmed the 2009 Berlin silver medallist.
Robles recovering well
Watching the meeting from the stands was 2008 Olympic champion and 110m hurdles World record holder Dayron Robles, who skipped the competition to recover fully from a minor injury.
“I am recovering well. I will be at 100% soon. I am training with no major concerns,” he said.
Mum Moreno beaten
In the women’s Hammer Throw, Arasay Thondique (70.16m) prevailed over her more experienced training partner, two-time World champion and Olympic silver medallist Yipsi Moreno (69.56). A happy mother, Moreno had thrown 73.77 on 3 March. The men’s Hammer Throw winner was Roberto Janet (75.60m).
Other notable winners were World and Olympic medallist Yarelis Barrios (64.19) and Jorge Fernández (65.54) in the men’s Discus Throw, Carlos Veliz (20.15) and Misleydis González (18.72) in the Shot Put, as well as 2005 World Championships silver medallist Victor Moyaa in the High Jump (2.25).
Ecuador’s Diego Ferrín and Chile’s 2008 World junior champion Natalia Ducó, training at the IAAF High Performance Training Center in Havana, performed well, too. Ferrin soared to second in the High Jump with 2.19 and Duco was third in the Shot Put with 17.58.
The second leg of the Copa Cuba will be held at Havana’s Estadio Panamericano, 24-29 May.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
