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MARINA RIVAS
Friday, 22 February 2019, 13:38
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In statistical terms, the success of the Spanish Indoor Championships held in Antequera over the course of the weekend, was one of the most successful in the past decade. With seven new Spanish records being set, the qualifying standard for the Glasgow European Championships being met six times and eight athletes overall sealing their qualification, the town's athletics complex was filled with positivity.
Spanish champions Sergio López and Jaël Bestué (60m), Orlando Ortega and Cari Jerez (60m hurdles), Daniel Rodríguez and Patricia Urquía (200m), Óscar Husillos and Laura Bueno (400m), Mariano García and Zoya Naumov (800m), Jesús Gómez and Esther Guerrero (1,500m), Artur Bossy and Cristina Espejo (3,000m), Carlos Tobalina and Úrsula Ruiz (weightlifting), Marc Sánchez and Cristina Ferrando (high jump), Eusebio Cáceres and Leticia Gil (long jump), Pablo Torrijos and Patricia Sarrapio (triple jump), Maialen Axpe and Adrián Vallés (pole vault), and María Vicente and Jonay Jordán (combined).
European qualifying standards Úrsula Ruiz (weightlifting), Maialen Axpe (pole vault), Eusebio Cáceres (long jump), Cristina Espejo (3,000m), Carlos Tobalina (shot put) and Salma Paralluelo (400m, under-23).
The first joy came early on the Saturday morning when Olympian Eusebio Cáceres reached the standard for Glasgow with a 7.99 in the long jump. He was quickly followed by Maialen Axpe in pole vault with a 4.50 (the second highest in Spain); Carlos Tobalina 20.39 in shot put (also contensted by Borja Vivas from Malaga as he made his return from injury); and Cristina Espejo, who became Spanish champion for the first time in the 3,000 metres with a time of 9:02.45.
It was a day in which the biggest names all lived up to expectations. Olympic silver medallist Orlando Ortega came away with the title in the 60-metre hurdles. The following day, national record-holding sprinter Óscar Husillos also came away with gold as expected.
A podium finish at just 15
Two young athletes grabbed the biggest headlines over the weekend. Catalan María Vicente came into the championships as an overwhelming favourite but no one expected her to break three national records: under-20 60-metre hurdles (8.35), the best long jump score ever in pentathlon (6.36) and the overall Spanish record for pentathlon (4,412 points), breaking the record set by Bárbara Hernando in 2011.
Salma Paralluelo went one better. The world under-17 football champion, aged just 15, beat the under-16 and under-18 national records with 54.10 in the 400 metres on Saturday. The following day, she bettered her own score and won bronze in the final (53.83), setting a new under-18 and under-20 record.
This time ensured she reached the qualifying standard for the under-23 category and picked up a medal which had not gone to an athlete so young in 46 years. On that occasion, it was Olympian Isabel Mozún, who won the high jump in 1973, aged 13 and 10 months.
Another ticket to Glasgow went to Úrsula Ruiz, with a score of 17.14 in weightlifting, the fifth full qualifying standard and sixth in total.
However, a total of eight athletes, already qualified for Glasgow, were able to repeat their qualifying standards: Yidiel Contreras (7.64 in the 60-metre hurdles); Patricia Sarrapio (13.92 in the triple jump); Sergio López and Daniel Ambrós (6.69 and 6.73, respectively in the under-23 60-metre hurdles); Pablo Torrijos, who made his return after undergoing surgery in November (16.61 in triple jump); and in the 400 metres, Lucas Búa (46.62), Laura Bueno (53.08) and Óscar Husillos (46.37).
Surprise packages
There was also room for surprises on the final day. Among others, Andalusian Daniel Rodríguez became champion of Spain in the 200 metres with a time of 21.08.
In the 60-metre sprint, Sergio López came out on top after beating the record-holder Yunier Pérez, who started the final as favourite after three-time Spain champion Arian Olmos Téllez was disqualified for a false start.
A new 800-metre champion was also crowned in Antequera. Just a week after receiving the Spanish under-23 title, Mariano García, one of athletics' biggest promises, entered onto the biggest stage in style by winning in the 800 metres.
Similarly, Jesús Gómez surprised everyone by winning the 1,500 metres, having seen off Saúl Ordoñez, ranked third in the world.
The next generation
With records broken, big results secured and the Spanish contingent for the European Championships almost set in stone, these championships in Antequera put the potential of Spain's young athletes into sharp focus.
Up against some of the most experienced professionals in the field of athletics, the next generation gave plenty for the 4,000-strong crowds to get excited about.
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