Roxana-Gomez
Havana, February 10 (RHC/JIT)-- National record by Roxana Gomez in the 400 meters and another podium by young Leyanis Perez marked on Wednesday the performance of Cuban athletes in the so-called winter season, when they compete in indoor tracks.
The good news came now from Mondeville, in France, where Roxana, who was already an Olympic finalist, made her debut in this kind of facilities and it is becoming more and more evident that she has the potential to improve that performance.
The Cienfuegos native stopped the clocks in 54.37 seconds to lower by more than one second the old record of 55.74 in this type of event, which belonged to Nancy MacLeón since February 20, 1993.
According to confirmations of statistician Alfredo Sanchez, this was still the indoor record of the Island, since Indira Terrero and Lisvania Grenot achieved better records, but when they no longer defended the colors of the Cuban federation.
"This is good news to begin with. It was the first time she faced these tracks (of only 200 meters and with tighter curves than outdoors) and although later we will analyze the details... to start with it is in the expected range," coach Ricardo Molina told JIT, who recognizes that his student can set better times when she becomes more familiar with these scenarios.
That time now gave her third place in the event dominated by Great Britain's Ama Pipi with 53.89 seconds and behind was Ukraine's Anastasia Bryzhina, owner of 53.99.
At only 23 years of age and with these results, Roxana ratifies herself as the main figure of the 400 meters in Cuba. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games she became one of the most pleasant news, when she advanced to the final of that specialty with a time of 49.71 seconds, only 10 hundredths of the absolute national record.
Her next presentation is scheduled for Saturday in the German city of Dortmund, and she is expected to have some more competitions before taking part in the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade (March 15-18).
Another athlete who is seriously aiming for a podium at the above-mentioned universal event is the triple jumper Leyanis, awarded for the second time in this winter tour, now thanks to a jump of 14.15 meters that allowed her to escort the French Rouguy Diallo (14.24).
Six valid jumps, all over 13.80 meters, speak of the stability and the good pace that the 20-year-old Pinar del Río native, for whom this also represents her first experience in indoor arenas, is showing.
"She is very pretty. She was in fourth place in the competition and managed the best jump in the last attempt to finish second and beat again the Olympic runner-up", commented her trainer Ricardo Ponce, happy with the result, although he knows that she still has many details to polish, such as the coordination of the race so that the technique flows better.
Leyanis won in the French town of Miramas last Friday with 14.47 meters, and again surpassed on this occasion the Portuguese and Olympic runner-up Patricia Mamona, who could not go beyond 14.13 meters and finished in third place.
The other Cuban present in that event was Liadagmis Povea, placed fourth with a discreet record of 14.06 meters, although slightly higher than the 13.79 meters that took her down to sixth place in the aforementioned previous meeting in France.
By the way, in that meeting finished third the Spanish Ana Peleterio, bronze under the five rings last summer and who was among those announced now, but did not show up due to pneumonia, according to the organizers.
This Saturday, in addition to Roxana, there will be important actions for Cuba in Metz, France, where long jumpers Maikel Massó and Lester Lescay will be present.
Lester Lescay needs a good mark to ensure his participation in the World Championships in Belgrade, whose minimum required was already achieved by Massó.
