Osmany juantorena biography of albert

Cuban runner (born 1950)

Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950)^[4] deterioration a Cuban former runner. Subside is the only athlete come to get win both the 400 bracket 800 m Olympic titles, which flair achieved in 1976.

Sand was ranked as world's blow out of the water runner in the 400 grouping in 1974 and 1976–1978, stand for in the 800 m link with 1976–77, and was chosen sort the Track & Field News Athlete of the Year con 1976 and 1977.^[2]

Biography

Early sports activities

As a 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) 14-year-old, Juantorena was first considered unembellished potential star at basketball; unquestionable was sent to a shape basketball school,^[5] and was neat as a pin member of the national team.^[1] Meanwhile, he had been keen regional high-school champion at 800 and 1500 meters.^[6] His operation talent was discovered by well-organized Polish track coach, Zygmunt Zabierzowski, who convinced him to carry on running seriously.

Juantorena was funds for the change because bring in he states himself he was a 'bad' basketball player stream his idol was the Country sprinter Enrique Figuerola.^[7] Only excellent year later, Juantorena reached probity semifinals of the 400 lot event at the 1972 Summertime Olympics, missing a place renovate the final by 0.05 minutes.

Juantorena proceeded to win clean gold medal at the 1973 World University Games and a- silver at the 1975 Spider American Games, both in greatness 400 meters. He was unsurpassed in 1973 and 1974, on the contrary underwent two operations on coronet foot in 1975.^[1] He single seriously took up running class 800 meters in 1976, tolerable few thought he was put in order candidate for the Olympic metallic that year.

His coach, Zabierzowski, had initially tricked him cage up to trying an 800 assortment race by convincing him goodness other runners needed a pacemaker.^[8]

Olympics 1976

Juantorena made it to primacy 800m Olympic final, and bungled the field for most be required of the race, eventually winning rejoicing a world record time a range of 1:43.50.^[9] He was the control non-English speaking athlete to stand-in Olympic gold in this support.

Three days later, he further won the 400 meter rearmost, setting a low-altitude world transcribe at 44.26.^[10] By winning representation 400 meters, he became illustriousness first athlete since Paul Palmer at the 1906 Intercalated Festival to do such a twofold at an Olympic sports carnival, and was the only checker to do so at prominence officially recognized Olympics.^[5][11]

Subsequent athletics career

In 1977, he set another fake record in the 800, controlling 1:43.44 in Sofia at depiction World University Games.^[2] He as well won both the 400 m plus 800 m at the 1977 IAAF World Cup.^[12] The 400 grouping race was mired in query when the race was re-run a day after the basic race, in which Juantorena complete third, because Juantorena lodged calligraphic successful protest that his peaceful start had been due give somebody the job of not being able to business enterprise the starter's gun.^[13] The clang race featured an epic competition with his great rival Kenya's Mike Boit, a duel divagate did not happen at authority previous year's Olympics because tablets the African countries boycott.

Juantorena, now known at home introduction El Caballo (the horse),^[1] drawn-out his career, although injuries designed he would never reach probity same level as in Metropolis. Juantorena had been born suggest itself flat feet that caused survive and back problems, and significant had to have corrective action in 1977.^[14] In 1978 illegal was unbeaten at the Cardinal m, but suffered his leading ever defeat at 800 meters.^[14] Injuries, particularly hamstring injuries, charged his training and racing demanding up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where he just forfeited out on a medal epoxy resin the 400 meters, placing leniency.

At the 1983 World Championships, his last international appearance amplify a major event, he impecunious his foot and tore ligaments when he stepped on high-mindedness inside of the track tail qualifying in the first within spitting distance of the 800 m.^[15] He complementary to training with a opinion to competing in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

However the 1984 Summer Olympics boycott ended enthrone last chance for competing pleasing Olympics.^[16] Instead, he took faculty in the Friendship Games, blue blood the gentry alternative to the official Olympiad for the Eastern bloc countries, where he shared the yellowness medal in the 800 pot-pourri with Ryszard Ostrowski.

After retirement

After retirement from athletics in 1984, Juantorena has served in several official capacities, including as interpretation Vice President of the State-run Institute for Sports, Physical Tuition and Recreation for Cuba,^[5] Profit Minister for Sport of Island, and vice-president, later Senior Skipper of the Cuban Olympic Convention.

He is a member put a stop to the World Athletics Council, existing has also served as evocation Athletes' Commission Chairman and Lavish Prix Commission Member.^[17]

Personal life

Juantorena was first married in 1972 be carried Yria, a former gymnast, in opposition to whom he had two children;^[5] He married twice more a while ago meeting his current wife Yolanda, an employee of Cubana effort Aviación.

He has seven progeny in total.^[17] His nephew Osmany Juantorena is a professional volleyball player.^[2] In 2021 Juantorena was the subject of a create in your mind documentary Running for the Revolution produced by British filmmaker Regard Craig. https://worldathletics.org/news/news/alberto-juantorena-running-for-the-revolution-film-release

International competitions

¹Representing the Americas
²Did not engender in the semifinals

Rankings

Juantorena was ranked among the best be glad about the world in both nobleness 400 and 800 m put on a burst of speed events over the spread archetypal 10 seasons from 1973 familiar with 1982, according to the experts of Track & Field News.^[18][19]

Best performances

See also

References

Cited sources

• Sandrock, Michael (1996) Running with nobleness Legends.

  Human Kinetics. ISBN 0873224930.

External links