Leonel Suarez of Cuba in the decathlon shot, setting his third PB of the day (© Getty Images)
Fresh from their first indoor season, 2008 Beijing Olympic medallist Leonel Suarez and 2007 Pan American Games runner-up Yordanis Garcia highlighted the Aurelio Janet Memorial over the weekend at Havana’s Estadio Panamericano (7 / 8 March).
Both posted the highest totals ever for a Decathlon in Cuba as Suarez scored 8415 points and Garcia a personal best of 8365 points.
Twenty-year old Garcia made an impressive start on the first day, thanks to his personal bests in the Long Jump (7.33m), Shot Put (16.20m) and 400m (48.57sec) to take a lead of over 100 points (4390 to Suarez’ 4255).
However, Suarez showed his traditional strength on the final day, including the Javelin (72.93m) and to secure victory in the 1500m.
García was rewarded with a personal best by over 100 points since his 8257 national and area junior record to finish eighth at the World Championships in Osaka.
Suarez set the national Heptathlon indoor record with 5959 points in early February this year, and Garcia came close with 5905 two weeks later in Seville.
This duo will now prepare for the IAAF Combined Events Challenge – Suarez was second in 2008 - and the 1st Americas Cup, to be held in Havana, 29-30 May, in the lead-up to the World Championships in Berlin.
Yariadmis Argüelles took the women’s Heptathlon with 5857 points, thanks to her 1.83m in the High Jump and 6.65(-2.8 m/s) in the Long Jump.
Elsewhere in the field, Olympic silver medallist Yarelis Barrios took the Discus Throw with a first round effort of 60.91m, followed by Yanisley Collado (60.70), who threw a personal best of 61.09 on February 20, and Yuneimis Soria (60.04).
In the men’s event, 2006 CAC Games champion Yunior Lastre improved his personal best by over a metre (63.67), a ‘B’ qualifying standard for the World Championships.
World and Olympic medallist Misleydis González easily dominated the Shot Put with a season’s best of 19.05, followed by Chile’s World junior champion Natalia Ducó (18.19) and Mailín Vargas (18.16). Olympian Carlos Véliz won the men’s event with 19.96, ahead of Reinaldo Proenza (19.61).
Italy’s World and Olympic finalist Clarissa Claretti, who is currently training in Cuba, prevailed in the Hammer Throw with a 71.66m toss, well clear of Olympian Arasay M. Thondike (70.20). 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Yunaika Crawford (64.10) was a distant fifth.
Two-time World champion and Olympic medallist Yipsi Moreno is taking sabbatical year as she is expecting to become a mother later in 2009.
Other winners were World Championships finalist Guillermo Martinez (77.26) and Yanet Cruz (59.71) in the Javelin Throw. Cruz had thrown a best of 62.90 on 27 February.
Former World record holder, two-time World champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist Osleidys Menendez is recovering from a back injury and is expected to make her season’s debut later this year.
Cuba’s sprints and jumps specialists will compete this weekend at the Rafael Fortun Memorial in and Cuba Salta meetings in Camagüey and Havana, respectively.
The Aurelio Janet Memorial pays tribute to Janet, who became the first Cuban to reach an Olympic final in the throws (Javelin in Mexico City 1968).
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
Decathlon
1. Leonel Suárez 8415
(10.93, 7.29, 13.98, 2.11, 48.97/14.38, 42.36, 4.70, 72.93, 4:26.51)
2. Yordani García 8365
(10.70, 7.33, 16.20, 2.02, 48.57/14.31, 42.01, 4.70, 68.38, 4:44.94)
3. Alexey Chibás 7879
