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News > Sport

Latin Americans Travel to London in Search of World Medals

  • Caterine Ibargüen

    Caterine Ibargüen | Photo: Reuters

Published 4 August 2017
Opinion

“The motivation to keep winning is still intact, I work hard for that,” said Colombian world champion and gold medalist Caterine Ibargüen.

Beginning Friday, athletes from all over the world will compete for medals at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics held in London.

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Throughout the event, which will be held until Aug. 13, several Latin American athletes will participate. One of them is Colombian superstar Caterine Ibargüen.

At 33 years old, Ibargüen is considered to be one of the best in triple jumps.

Along with winning bronze at the Daegu World Cup 2011, she also won gold in Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015. Moreover, she received silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games and gold at Rio 2016.

“The motivation to continue winning is still intact, I work hard for that,” Ibargüen told AFP. 

“This year I am motivated by the world championship and the world record.”

Ibargüen’s biggest rival in London 2017 will be Yulimar Rojas, a Venezuelan athlete who is 11 years younger than her. 

Rojas, who turns 22 in October, earned the best record of the season on June 2 in the Spanish city of Andujar. Ibargüen has the second best record of the year, earned on July 21 in Monaco.

Another headlining figure from the region is the Cuban pole vaulter Yarisley Silva, who will seek her third medal in world championships.

“We are going to fight hard, we came to revalidate the title, although if the previous World Cup was difficult, it will be even more so. But she (Silva) is prepared to reach the podium,” her trainer, Alexander Navas, said during a recent interview. 

Other medal hopefuls from Latin America include Cuban track and field athletes Denia Caballero and Maykel Masso, Mexican race walker Guadalupe Gonzalez, Brazilian race walker Erika de Sena and Puerto Rican double world medalist Javier Culson.

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