In a great night, María Forero was 5th in 5,000 meters, and Marcos Moreno (discus) and Paula Blanquer (100 hurdles) sixth
Spain has never been on the podium, but has added 13 finalists and finishes 12th in the standings
Although it has not managed to get on the podium on any occasion, unlike what happened on three occasions a year ago in Nairobi, the Spanish team closed the early hours of this Sunday with a great performance in U20 World Athletics Championships in Cali which he attended with 38 representatives.
Last summer Spain the versatile Tessy Ebosele was silver in triple with 13.63 meterswhile José San Pastor took the bronze in the decathlon (7,430 points) and Paul McGrath in the 10,000 meter walk (42:26.11) to finish 24th in the medal table and eleventh in the standings with 46 points (fifth European country after France , Poland, Finland, Italy and the Czech Republic.
On this occasion, the Spanish delegation in Colombian lands does not appear in the medal table, but yes in a position table in which it is twelfth with 13 finalists and 38 pointstied with Italy and only behind France, Great Britain and the Netherlands in terms of the Old Continent in a date in which the United States (seven), Jamaica (six) and Ethiopia (six) have added as many golds (19) like the following 14 countries.
The spectacular end of the holidays was put on by a male 4×400 in which the European sub’18 400 smooth champion (David García Zurita from Badajoz) rested and in which Markel Fernández, Ángel González, Alberto Guijarro and a masterful Gerson Pozo finished fourth with a national record by one hundredth (3:06.91) and they stayed 41 from the bronze.
Thus, they repeated the fourth place they got in Eugene 26 years ago Víctor Vallejo, Adrián Fernández, Alberto Martínez and a David Canal who years later would be European runner-up in the 400m in Munich 2002, just 10 hundredths behind the German Ingo Schultz.
Shortly before, the Valencian Paula Blanquer he had honored his surname with a magnificent sixth place in the final of 100 meters hurdles (13.40) after beating his sub’20 national record in the semifinals until leaving it at 13.34.
Paula Blanquer has had an impressive World Cup
| RFEA
is the little daughter of the legendary Rafa Blanquerthe first Spanish athlete to pass eight meters and former coach of Concha Montaner, Glory Alozie, of the late Yago Lamela and also of the ‘cheater Josephine Onyia, among others.
And what about María Forero? Nursing student based in the CAR of León, the woman from Huelva faced a 5,000-meter final with a cool head in which she started with the eighth mark of the participants and did not stubbornly when the Ethiopians Eisa and Wudu left, the Ugandan Chesang and the Latvian Agate Caune.
Little by little it was recovering positions to finish high with a sensational fifth position (16:26.39) and get the second best result in history for an athlete from Huelva only after walker Laura García-Caro (fourth in 10,000 meters in Eugene in 2014). The other Spanish, Carla Domínguez, could only be 16th with 17:35.61.
María Forero achieved a great fifth place in 5,000
The good news of this last day was completed by a Marcos Moreno who comes back on his own to finish sixth in the discus throw (60.94) and the great Valencian competitor Celia Rifaterra (seventh in the high jump with 1.80), while Mireya Arnedillo was tenth in the 1,500 with 4:20.55 (she had been sixth last year in Kenya), and Rubén Leonardo eleventh in the 3,000 obstacles ( 8:55.77).
The other Spanish finalists in Cali were the fifth Óscar Martínez in the 10,000 meter walk (43:20.84) and Ander Martínez de Rituerto in the pole vault (5.25), the sixth Berta Segura in 400 smooth (52.56) and the men’s 4×100 with Jaime Mendoza, Mario Mena, Juan Carlos Castillo and Alejandro Rueda (39.87), the seventh Pablo Pastor in 10,000 march (43:20.84), Marta Serrano in 3,000 obstacles (10:08.85), Evelyn Yankey in length (6.21) and the historic eighth Elena Guiu in 100 smooth (11.52). Furthermore, we must not forget that Catalan Pol Ferrer was left unmarked in pole vault when fighting for bronze in the decathlon.