• Submitted by: manso
• Sports
• 09 / 02 / 2011

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Harold Iglesias Manresa. DESPITE the 12 hour difference in time, this spectator-reporter was alert to every accomplishment achieved by the Cuban athletes participating in the 13th World Athletics Championship in the South Korean city of Daegu, a track and field Mecca.

Full of hope, I began my trek, to see discus throwers Yarelis Barrios (63.80) and Denia Caballero (60.36) classify third and eighth for the final. I was amazed to see something unprecedented, six Kenyan women on the marathon medal podium, as well as that of the 10,000 meters, led by Edna Kiplagat (2:28:43) and Vivian Cheruiyot (30:48.98).

The excitement of the eliminatory heats for the hectometer were next, with the opportunity of seeing the phenomenal Jamaican Usain Bolt almost walking after the first 40 meters, finishing with a 10.10 that most sprinters can only dream of, especially on a track which many describe as slow, since the wind is almost always blowing against the racers. A pity that Bolt was not later able to reconfirm his title as the world's fastest man in the final, where he was disqualified because of a false start. His compatriot Johan Blake won with an excellent 9.92.

Among the women, Carmelita Jeter from the United States shook off the stigma of losing in key competitions and defeated three Jamaicans with a 10.90 for the gold.

With all this speed abounding and time flying, the first Cuban victories were not long in coming. Among the most respected athletes in their disciplines, Leonel Suárez (8,501) in the decathlon and discus thrower Barrios (65.73) won bronze medals with outstanding performances. There were no accidents among their betters, although Suárez was tasting the gold when his javelin failed to sail 75 meters or more.

After the pole vault in which the athlete from Holguín reached his personal best (five meters), beating the leader Tray Hardee, as well as second ranked Ashton Eaton, Suárez' chances looked good. My heart was beating, while waiting for the javelin and the 1,500 meters.

But Leonel's 69.12m in the javelin throw and his 4:24.16 in the race - his best of the year - were not enough to overcome Hardee's astonishing javelin throw (68.99) and Eaton's 4:18.94 in the 1,500m. Real life and scores testify to who is tops in the world, and there is a Cuban among the three best, just as in the Beijing '08 Olympics and the '09 Berlin World Championship.

It was the same story for Yarelis Barrios from Pinar del Río up against the reigning champion from China Li Yanfeng (66.52) and the German Nadine Müller (65.97). The strength of their arms defeated her outstanding technique, although I certainly celebrated her third consecutive medal in these competitions.

"How close to the sky," I thought, when I saw pole vaulter Lázaro Borges twist over the bar at 5.90 meters and close in on the gold, but unlikely as it seemed, Poland's Pawel Wojciechowski refused the 5.85 after an initial fault and then made it over the 5.90 in his last attempt, taking the title given his fewer faults.

I did jump up out of my seat over that. Unprecedented, in one fell swoop, Borges made history and joined Wojciechowski and Renaud Lavillenie from France in dominating the competition. Think about the magnitude of what he has accomplished in one year, improving by 30 centimeters.

It pains me to finish up, after so much glory in this highly competitive event, by reporting the disqualification of world record holder Dayron Robles (12.87 seconds) in the 110-meter hurdles final. Why? He obstructed Liu Xiang from China on the ninth hurdle and the two then collided coming out of the tenth.

In any event, the first three days of the Daegu World Championship were more than productive for Cuban athletes.

Source: www.granma.cu/ingles/sports-i/1septiembre-Cuba stands.html