Havana, August 19 (RHC)-- Ronald Mencías, a hammer thrower, opened Cuba's participation in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, capital of Hungary, on Saturday.
20 years old and a debutant in senior world championships, the espirituano finished in 24th place among 35 competitors with a throw of 71.00.
among 35 competitors with a throw of 71.72m, achieved in his first attempt, and could not qualify for the final (12).
Mencías is a rising star in a long-lived specialty and his personal best (76.66m) achieved this year in Havana, says that we are in the presence of a talented athlete.
The demanding figure of 77.00m required for direct qualification was only achieved by 6 athletes, including the multi-champion Fajdek (POL) and the Canadian Ethan Kazberg, leader of the qualifying phase with a national record (81.18).
Three other Cubans will compete on Saturday: Mario Alberto Díaz (discus), and Lázaro Martínez and Cristian Nápoles (triple jump).
Cuba takes part in the world championship with 20 athletes, who will try to improve the performance of the last event held in Oregon, United States, where for the first time in the history of these competitions they did not win a medal.
Cuban TV will broadcast the afternoon session of this Saturday and Sunday 20 and also on Wednesday 23 in addition to the evening sessions, will also bring to the viewers the morning sessions of the World Championship.
In both cases, several Cubans will be present on both dates, in the early morning hours in Cuba.
Spain's Alvaro Martin was proclaimed world champion in the 20 km walk in Budapest, to win the first gold of the world championship.
Current European champion and fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Spaniard won with a time of 1h17:32, the best time of the season.
Two hours behind schedule due to rain and a thunderstorm, fifty walkers from twenty-eight countries took the start in Budapest's Heroes' Square.
Second finished the Swede Perseus Karlström, who was already bronze medalist in Doha 2019 and Eugene-2022, by entering the finish line seven seconds behind (1h17:39), and third the Brazilian Caio Bonfim, who repeated the place achieved at the London 2017 World Championships with 1h17:47, national record.
Among the top ten, the seventh place of the Ecuadorian Brian Daniel Pintado stood out.
In qualifying events for Latin America, the Brazilian Darlan Romani stood out, who sent the bullet up to 22.37m.
The student of Cuban professor Justo Navarro led the qualifying event, in which the great favorite Ryan Crousser, from the United States, advanced to the final with the fourth best shot, 21.48.
In the mixed 4x400 relay the best times in the qualifying event went to USA (3.10.41, GB 3.11.19 and Belgium 3.11.81. The champion and Olympic runner-up Dominican Republic was a no-show.
