Maykel Massó

Havana, January 13 (JIT) - The National Athletics Commission confirmed the participation in five of the seven gold category rallies of the World Athletics Indoor Tour 2023, as well as the training of 10 representatives during the winter season.

In a communication sent to the specialized press, it was ratified that several leading figures will travel to Europe to continue training and take on competitive commitments.

"The indoor season always serves as a base for what is to come in the following months. We have looked for options in the specialties in which we have potentialities to assume a very long year," assured to JIT the national commissioner of this sport, Rolando Charoo Estrada.

"This tour includes some who belong to the elite of their specialties and others that we want to promote because they have the possibility of achieving good results, as for example in speed," he commented on the integration of the roster.

The group is headed by the Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020, Maykel Massó (long jump), and the world indoor champion in Belgrade 2022, Lázaro Martínez (triple jump). 

Leading exponents also include high jumper Luis Enrique Zayas and triple jumpers Leyanis Pérez, Liadagmis Povea and Cristian Nápoles.

The others involved are long jumper Maikel Vidal, sprinter Shainer Reginfo and hurdlers Greisys Robles and Keily Perez.

"The selection of the competitions depended on the individual objectives and also on the capacities offered by the organizers," acknowledged Charoo, who advanced the possibility of adding more competitions.

For the moment there will be Cuban presence from January 25, in a competition organized in the Spanish city of Valencia, until February 25 in another one in Birmingham, England.

The latter has a gold category, as well as the competitions in Karlsruhe, Lievin and Madrid, all of them with guaranteed Cuban presence.

This year there will be no indoor world championship, but there will be plenty of important outdoor events, among which stand out the Central American and Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023, the Pan American Games of Santiago 2023 and the World Athletics Championships of Budapest 2023.

WHAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED 

Valencia (Spain), January 25: Shainer Reginfo and Greisys Robles. Pending Keily Pérez, and Lázaro Martínez and Cristian Nápoles (if the organizers define the triple jump call-up).

Karlsruhe (Germany), January 27: Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea.

Nehvizdy (Czech Republic), January 31: Luis Enrique Zayas.

Hustopece (Czech Republic), February 4: Luis Enrique Zayas.

Val de Reuil (France), February 4: Lázaro Martínez.

Barcelona (Spain), February 4: Shainer Reginfo and Greisys Robles.

Trinec (Czech Republic), February 7: Luis Enrique Zayas.

Torun (Poland), February 8: Maykel Massó.

Mondeville (France), February 8: Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea.

Udine (Italy), February 9: Luis Enrique Zayas.

Paris (France), February 11: Lázaro Martínez, Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea.

Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), February 14: Luis Enrique Zayas.

Lievin (France), February 15: Maykel Massó, Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea.

Madrid (Spain), 22 February: Maykel Massó, Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea. 

Birmingham (Great Britain), February 25: Maykel Massó and Luis Enrique Zayas (pending confirmation).