Cuba wins four titles in Lisbon athletics meeting

Havana, June 11 (RHC)-- Cuba won four gold medals at the Moniz Pereira Memorial, an athletics meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal, which serves as preparation for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, next month.

For the Caribbean nation, triathlete Davisleidy Velasco, javelinist Yiselena Ballart, as well as Silinda Morales and Jorge Fernández, both in the discus throw, won titles.

Velasco triumphed with a mark of 14.28 meters (m), far behind the locals Ana Oliveira (13.06 m) and Lucinda Gomes (13.05 m), second and third place, respectively.

Ballart won the javelin throw with a record of 60.07 m, followed far behind by the hosts Claudia Ferreira (50.60 m) and Aleida Mendes (43.78 m), second and third in that order.

Likewise, the discus runner Morales won with 58.51 m, escorted by two representatives from home, Ivanilda Lopes (47.82 m) and Raquel Gomes (42.70 m).

Also in the discus, the experienced Fernandez finished first, with a throw of 61.58 m, ahead of the Portuguese Edujose Lima (57.47 m) and Emanuel Sousa (55.90 m), according to the official website of the competition.

Also on the awards podium were Cubans Reynier Mena, in the 100 m flat, and short hurdler Roger Valentín Iribarne, both second in their respective events.

The sprinter Mena stopped the clocks in 10.19 seconds (s), to be behind the local runner Frederico Curvelo, who arrived first at the finish line with a time of 10.18 s; while José Pedro Lopes (10.45 s), from Portugal, was third.

In the 110 m hurdles, Iribarne achieved a time of 13.55 s and was only surpassed by the Brazilian Gabriel Constantino (13.49 s), in a race in which the Portuguese Abdel Larrinaga (13.70 s) finished in third place.