Havana, August 18 (RHC) - More than two dozen Cuban coaches will guide athletes from Cuba and other countries at the World Athletics Championships, scheduled for August 19-27 in Budapest, capital of Hungary.
Eight of them are working with the 20-strong Cuban delegation, among them the Athens-97 world champion Yoelbi Quesada, guide of triple jumpers Lázaro Martínez and Liadagmis Povea, and the Cuban discus record holder Hilda Elisa Ramos, trainer of young Silinda Morales and Mario Díaz.
Also appearing in the group are Ricardo Ponce, coach of the talented triple jumper Leyanis Pérez, as well as Juan Gualberto Nápoles, Juan F. Centelles, Ricardo Molina and José Feliciano Bilirs, coaches of the jumping and running areas.
Nelson Gutiérrez, a Cuban living in Ecuador, is currently at the helm of Rose Mary Almanza.
Several Cuban trainers based abroad, such as Ivan Pedroso, Yaseen Perez Gomez, Ismael Lopez Mastrapa, Justo Navarro and Nelson himself, will lead several figures from other countries, including Olympic medalists such as Yulimar Rojas, Marileidy Paulino and Anthony Zambrano, among others.
Of those mentioned, the only one still active from the so-called "golden age" of Cuban athletics is Justo Navarro, trainer of the Brazilian ballet runner Darlan Romani and in Cuba the architect of Yumileidis Cumbá's Olympic triumph.
The others belong to a generation closer to home, some of them stellar athletes who later became renowned coaches.
Many of them achieved results as coaches in Cuba, especially in minor categories, and others like Pedroso, Yaseen and Yoandry Betanzos were practically forged as trainers outside the island, drinking from the knowledge learned on the island with their coaches. All of them were nourished by the successes of a sports system that has been a world reference for decades.
Cuban coaches in Budapest 2023
Yoelbi Quesada: Lázaro Martínez, triple jump
Liadagmis Povea, triple jump
Ricardo Ponce Leyanis Pérez, Triple Jump
Also attends Eduardo Nápoles, pole vault.
Juan Gualberto Nápoles: Cristian Nápoles, Triple Jump
Also attends Alejandro Parada, long jump.
Juan F. Centelles: Luis Zayas, high jump.
Hilda Elisa Ramos: Silinda Morales, discus
Mario Diaz, discus
Also attends Ronald Mencías, hammer
Ricardo Molina: Roxana Gómez, 400m
Zurian Hechavarría, 400m hurdles
Zurian, Veitía, Almanza and Roxana 4x400 relay.
Joé Feliciano Bilirs: Yunisleidy García,100 and 200m
Greysis Roble 100 hurdles
4x100 relay (Laura Moreira, Enis Pérez, Yarima García, Yunisleidy, Greysis y Jocelyn Echazabal.
Nelson Gutiérrez: Rose Mary Almanza).
Cubans with athletes from other countries (some are not in Budapest)
Iván Pedroso: Yulimar Rojas (triple jump, VEN)
Fátima Diame (long jump, ESP)
Tessy Ebosele (long jump, ESP)
Alexis Copello (triple, AZE)
Yaseen Pérez Gómez: Marileidy Paulino (400, DOM)
Anabel Medina (4x400, R.DOM)
Nelson Gutiérrez: Anthony Zambrano (400, COL)
Angela Tenorio (100, ECU)
Rose Almanza (800, CUB)
Nicole Caicedo (200 and 400, ECU)
Ismael Lopez Mastrapa: Kershon Walcott (jab, T.TOB)
Justo Navarro: Darlan Romani (shot put, BRA)
Yoandry Betanzos: Jeswin Aldrin (long jump, IND)
Praven (triple, IND)
Alejandro Laberdesque: Diego del Real (hammer, MEX)
Uziel Muñoz (shot put, MEX)
Frank Casañas: Juan Caicedo (discus, ECU)
Osmany García: Matha Araújo (hept, COL)
Lázaro Paz: Erick Portillo (high jump, MEX)
Julio Prado: Edgar Rivera (height, MEX)
Ramón Breto: Yuleisi Angulo (javelin, ECU)
Flor Denis Ruiz (javelin, COL)
Orlando Meneses: Kemi Adekoya (4x400 BHR)
Luis Small: Yeinier Chiquillo (triple jump, COL)
