Spain's Jesus Angel Garcia in the 50km Race Walk at the 2003 World Championships (© Getty Images)
When Spain’s Jesus Angel Garcia takes to the start line for the 50km Race Walk at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, he will make history for the most appearances by a male athlete in the history of the event.
Winner of the 50km Race Walk on his World Championships debut in 1993, Garcia has competed at every edition since. Moscow will be his 11th World Championships appearance, tying the record set by Portuguese race walker Susana Feitor.
Since his triumph in 1993, Garcia won silver medals in 1997 and 2001 and more recently took bronze in 2009 at 39 years of age.
Now aged 43, Garcia is the oldest member of the Spanish team for Moscow. At the other end of the scale, fellow race walker Alvaro Martin is the youngest member of the team at just 19 years old. Martin, who was born one year after Garcia’s World Championships victory, took bronze at the recent European Junior Championships and will contest the 20km event in Moscow.
Spain won just one medal at the last World Championships in Daegu, courtesy of Natalia Rodriguez in the 1500m. The 34-year-old will be the sold Spanish entrant in that event; likewise, David Bustos was the only Spanish man selected in the 1500m.
Spain’s best medal hopes could come in the jumping events. Eusebio Caceres, the recently-crowned European under-23 champion, jumped a PB of 8.37m to win in Tampere, putting him third on this year’s world season list.
High jumper Ruth Beitia, the European champion indoors and out, is a consistent championship performer and will be keen to win her first medal at an outdoor World Championships.
IAAF
SPANISH TEAM FOR MOSCOW
Men
100m: Angel David Rodriguez
200m: Bruno Hortelano, Sergio Ruiz
800m: Kevin Lopez, Luis Alberto Marco
1500m: David Bustos
5000m: Alemayehu Bezabeh, Sergio Sanchez
Marathon: Javier Guerra, Ayad Lamdassem
3000m Steeplechase: Roberto Alaiz, Sebastian Martos, Angel Mullera
Pole Vault: Igor Bychkov
Long Jump: Eusebio Caceres
Shot Put: Borja Vivas
Discus: Frank Casanas, Mario Pestano
Hammer: Javier Cienfuegos
20km Race Walk: Francisco Arcilla, Miguel Angel Lopez, Alvaro Martin
50km Race Walk: Jose Ignacio Diaz, Jesus Angel Garcia, Claudio Villanueva
4x100m Relay: Adria Burriel, Caceres, Hortelano, Rodriguez, Ruiz, Eduard Viles
4x400m Relay: Roberto Briones, Pau Fradera, Samuel Garcia, Hortelano, Mark Ujakpor
Women
400m: Aauri Lorena Bokesa
1500m: Natalia Rodriguez
5000m: Dolores Checa
Marathon: Alessandra Aguilar
3000m Steeplechase: Diana Martin
High Jump: Ruth Beitia
Shot Put: Ursula Ruiz
20km Race Walk: Lorena Luaces, Beatriz Pascual, Julia Takacs
