World champions in the 4x400 (Almanza, Zurian, Veitía and Roxana)
Havana, February 9 (RHC) - Around twenty Cuban athletes in the areas of throwing, sprint and multiple events are traveling to Colombia this Saturday for a training camp in Medellin.
The group is led by the 4x400 relay world champions Roxana Gómez, Lisneidy Veitía and Zurian Hechavarría, and the Olympic and world heptathlon finalist Yorgelis Rodríguez, who reappears after a period suffering from injuries.
The National Athletics Commission said in statements to Radio Habana Cuba that the delegation is made up of 35 people, including athletes, coaches, medical staff and federation officials.
"There will be 14 sprint athletes, 5 throwing athletes and 2 in multiple events, all with their coaches, doctors and physiotherapists," said national commissioner Rolando Charroó.
"There are many athletes in the group that have real conditions to qualify for the Olympic Games, among them the relays that can seal their tickets in the World Relay Championship", added the federation official.
The journey in the capital of Antioquia, located about 1500m above sea level, will last until March 10, he added.
In addition to Yorgelis and three of the 4x400 champions in Silesia-2021, the group includes the new queen of speed in Cuba, Yunisleydis Garcia and her teammates of the 4x100 relay, champion last year at the Centrocaribes in San Salvador and at the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile.
Last year, Yunisleydis became the revelation of Cuban athletics by breaking Liliana Allen's old record in the 100m and setting it at 11.08 seconds, in addition to winning several medals in important events.
Key as a closer in the relay triumphs, in Chile she also won two individual medals - gold in 100m and silver in 200m - and another two in El Salvador - silver in 200m and bronze in 100m.
Another figure ready to reappear after leaving behind an injury is the Olympic 400m finalist and world champion with the relay, Roxana Gómez (49.71).Also included in the group are world discus finalist Silinda Morales (65.06m), continental runner-up in the 100m sprint, Greisys Roble, and the men's silver medal relay in Chile, all of them with options to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.Also included were youngsters on the rise, such as hurdlers Yander Luis Herrera (17 years old) and Liliet Cabrera (19).
To date, six of Cuba's top athletes have secured their tickets to Paris: triple jumpers Leyanis Pérez, Lázaro Martínez, Liadagmis Povea and Cristian Nápoles, high jumper Luis Zayas and four-time champion Roxana Gómez.
The first five have successfully competed in the winter tour of Europe and are due to attend the World Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 1-3 in Glasgow.Other athletes contemplated in the critical path towards Paris-2024 are Sahily Diago - training in Guatemala under the guidance of Francisco Ayala - Rose Mary Almanza - traveled this Friday to Ecuador to be coached by Nelson Gutiérrez -, and Aslín Quiala and Rosaidi Robles, who are competing and training in Spain under the guidance of Alexandre Navas.
