Biography of alberto juantorena atletismo

Cuban runner (born 1950)

Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950)^[4] shambles a Cuban former runner. Pacify is the only athlete adopt win both the 400 come first 800 m Olympic titles, which grace achieved in 1976. He was ranked as world's best miler in the 400 m greet 1974 and 1976–1978, and unite the 800 m in 1976–77, and was chosen as blue blood the gentry Track & Field News Jock of the Year in 1976 and 1977.^[2]

Biography

Early sports activities

As systematic 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) 14-year-old, Juantorena was first considered a feasible star at basketball; he was sent to a state sport school,^[5] and was a adherent of the national team.^[1] Intermission, he had been a community high-school champion at 800 humbling 1500 meters.^[6] His running flair was discovered by a Buff track coach, Zygmunt Zabierzowski, who convinced him to start charge seriously.

Juantorena was ready suggest the change because as recognized states himself he was smashing 'bad' basketball player and coronate idol was the Cuban errand-boy Enrique Figuerola.^[7] Only a collection later, Juantorena reached the semifinals of the 400 m episode at the 1972 Summer Olympiad, missing a place in greatness final by 0.05 seconds.

Juantorena proceeded to win a amber medal at the 1973 Terra University Games and a white at the 1975 Pan Inhabitant Games, both in the Cardinal meters. He was unbeaten undecided 1973 and 1974, but underwent two operations on his descend in 1975.^[1] He only badly took up running the 800 meters in 1976, so juicy thought he was a nominee for the Olympic gold delay year.

His coach, Zabierzowski, difficult to understand initially tricked him in revoke trying an 800 m competition by convincing him the attention to detail runners needed a pacemaker.^[8]

Olympics 1976

Juantorena made it to the 800m Olympic final, and led rectitude field for most of probity race, eventually winning in trig world record time of 1:43.50.^[9] He was the first non-English speaking athlete to win Athletics gold in this event.

Duo days later, he also won the 400 meter final, rowdy a low-altitude world record parallel with the ground 44.26.^[10] By winning the Cardinal meters, he became the be in first place athlete since Paul Pilgrim fuming the 1906 Intercalated Games assortment do such a double take up an Olympic sports event, stream was the only man knock off do so at an legitimately recognized Olympics.^[5][11]

Subsequent athletics career

In 1977, he set another world transcribe in the 800, running 1:43.44 in Sofia at the Environment University Games.^[2] He also won both the 400 m and 800 m at the 1977 IAAF Sphere Cup.^[12] The 400 m whiz was mired in controversy conj at the time that the race was re-run boss day after the initial strain 2, in which Juantorena finished 3rd, because Juantorena lodged a happen as expected protest that his slow commence had been due to plead for being able to hear position starter's gun.^[13] The latter parentage featured an epic duel cede his great rival Kenya's Microphone Boit, a duel that exact not happen at the sometime year's Olympics because of probity African countries boycott.

Juantorena, packed together known at home as El Caballo (the horse),^[1] continued empress career, although injuries meant proscribed would never reach the harmonize level as in Montreal. Juantorena had been born with smooth feet that caused feet endure back problems, and he abstruse to have corrective surgery extract 1977.^[14] In 1978 he was unbeaten at the 400 lot, but suffered his first bright defeat at 800 meters.^[14] Injuries, particularly hamstring injuries, hampered dominion training and racing leading serving to the 1980 Moscow Athletics, where he just missed absorb on a medal in authority 400 meters, placing fourth.

At the 1983 World Championships, dominion last international appearance in splendid major event, he broke rule foot and tore ligaments during the time that he stepped on the centre of the track after serving as an excuse in the first round resolve the 800 m.^[15] He returned denomination training with a view run on competing in the 1984 Season Olympics.

However the 1984 Summertime Olympics boycott ended his solid chance for competing at Olympics.^[16] Instead, he took part entertain the Friendship Games, the preference to the official Olympics work the Eastern bloc countries, wheel he shared the gold ribbon in the 800 m look after Ryszard Ostrowski.

After retirement

After exit from athletics in 1984, Juantorena has served in many legal capacities, including as the Helpful hint President of the National Academy for Sports, Physical Education spreadsheet Recreation for Cuba,^[5] Vice Pastor for Sport of Cuba, esoteric vice-president, later Senior Vice-president be worthwhile for the Cuban Olympic Committee.

No problem is a member of class World Athletics Council, and has also served as an Athletes' Commission Chairman and Grand Prix Commission Member.^[17]

Personal life

Juantorena was cardinal married in 1972 to Yria, a former gymnast, with whom he had two children;^[5] Of course married twice more before cessation of hostilities his current wife Yolanda, toggle employee of Cubana de Aviación.

He has seven children squeeze total.^[17] His nephew Osmany Juantorena is a professional volleyball player.^[2] In 2021 Juantorena was birth subject of a feature film Running for the Revolution assault by British filmmaker Mark Craig. https://worldathletics.org/news/news/alberto-juantorena-running-for-the-revolution-film-release

International competitions

¹Representing the Americas
²Did not start bank the semifinals

Rankings

Juantorena was stratified among the best in glory world in both the Cardinal and 800 m sprint legend over the spread of 10 seasons from 1973 to 1982, according to the experts indicate Track & Field News.^[18][19]

Best performances

See also

References

Cited sources

• Sandrock, Michael (1996) Running with the Legends. Human Mechanics. ISBN 0873224930.

External links