Alberto Juantorena

Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950)Various dates have been given for Juantorena's birth, with 3 December 1950 (The International Who's Who 2004 (Europa Publications) and ) or 21 November 1950 (Historical Dictionary of Track and Field (Scarecrow Press, 2012), Top Distance Runners of the Century (Meyer & Meyer Verlag, 2002)) and even 11 November 1950 (Who's Who in the 1984 Olympics (Pelham Books, 1984)) is a Cuban former runner. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976. He was ranked as the world's best runner in the 400 m in 1974 and 1976–1978, and in the 800 m in 1976–77, and was chosen as the Track & Field News Athlete of the Year in 1976 and 1977.

Biography Early sports activities As a 14-year-old, Juantorena was first considered a potential star at basketball; he was sent to a state basketball school, and was a member of the national team. Meanwhile, he had been a regional high-school champion at 800 and 1500 meters.Sandrock, p. 206 His running talent was discovered by a Polish track coach, Zygmunt Zabierzowski, who convinced him to start running seriously. Juantorena was ready for the change because as he states himself he was a 'bad' basketball player and his idol was the Cuban sprinter Enrique Figuerola. Only a year later, Juantorena reached the semifinals of the 400 m event at the 1972 Summer Olympics, missing a place in the final by 0.05 seconds.

Juantorena proceeded to win a gold medal at the 1973 World University Games and a silver at the 1975 Pan American Games, both in the 400 meters. He was unbeaten in 1973 and 1974, but underwent two operations on his foot in 1975. He only seriously took up running the 800 meters in 1976, so few thought he was a candidate for the Olympic gold that year. His coach, Zabierzowski, had initially tricked him into trying an 800 m race by convincing him the other runners needed a pacemaker.Sandrock, p. 207

Olympics 1976 Juantorena made it to the 800 m Olympic final, and led the field for most of the race, eventually winning in a world record time of 1:43.50. He was the first non-English speaking athlete to win Olympic gold in this event. Three days later, he also won the 400 meter final, setting a low-altitude world record at 44.26. By winning the 400 meters, he became the first athlete since Paul Pilgrim at the 1906 Intercalated Games to do such a double at an Olympic sports event, and was the only man to do so at an officially recognized Olympics.Alberto Juantorena. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.

Subsequent athletics career In 1977, he set another world record in the 800, running 1:43.44 in Sofia at the World University Games. He also won both the 400 m and 800 m at the 1977 IAAF World Cup.Morre, K. (12 September 1977) "The Cup Turned Into a Coup" , Sports Illustrated. The 400 m race was mired in controversy when the race was re-run a day after the initial race, in which Juantorena finished third, because Juantorena lodged a successful protest that his slow start had been due to not being able to hear the starter's gun. The latter race featured an epic duel with his great rival Kenya's Mike Boit, a duel that did not happen at the previous year's Olympics because of the African countries boycott.

Juantorena, now known at home as El Caballo (the horse), continued his career, although injuries meant he would never reach the same level as in Montreal. Juantorena had been born with flat feet that caused feet and back problems, and he had to have corrective surgery in 1977.Sandrock, p. 217 In 1978 he was unbeaten at the 400 m, but suffered his first ever defeat at 800 meters. Injuries, particularly hamstring injuries, hampered his training and racing leading up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where he just missed out on a medal in the 400 meters, placing fourth.

At the 1983 World Championships, his last international appearance in a major event, he broke his foot and tore ligaments when he stepped on the inside of the track after qualifying in the first round of the 800 m. He returned to training with a view to competing in the 1984 Summer Olympics. However the 1984 Summer Olympics boycott ended his last chance for competing at Olympics.Sandrock, p. 218 Instead, he took part in the Friendship Games, the alternative to the official Olympics for the Eastern bloc countries, where he shared the gold medal in the 800 m with Ryszard Ostrowski.

After retirement After retirement from athletics in 1984, Juantorena has served in many official capacities, including as the Vice President of the National Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation for Cuba, Vice Minister for Sport of Cuba, and vice-president, later Senior Vice-president of the Cuban Olympic Committee. He is a member of the World Athletics Council, and has also served as an Athletes' Commission Chairman and Grand Prix Commission Member.

Personal life Juantorena was first married in 1972 to Yria, a former gymnast, with whom he had two children; He married twice more before meeting his current wife Yolanda, an employee of Cubana de Aviación. He has seven children in total. His nephew Osmany Juantorena is a professional volleyball player. In 2021 Juantorena was the subject of a feature documentary Running for the Revolution produced by British filmmaker Mark Craig. https://worldathletics.org/news/news/alberto-juantorena-running-for-the-revolution-film-release

International competitions Representing 1972Olympic GamesMunich, West Germany11th (sf)400 m46.071973Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsMaracaibo, Venezuela1st400 m46.42nd4 × 400 m relay3:10.1UniversiadeMoscow, Soviet Union1st400 m45.361974Central American and Caribbean GamesSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic1st400 m45.521st4 × 400 m relay3:06.361975Pan American GamesMexico City, Mexico2nd400 m44.802nd4 × 400 m relay3:02.821976Olympic GamesMontreal, Canada1st400 m44.261st800 m1:43.50 (WR)7th4 × 400 m relay3:03.811977Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsXalapa, Mexico2nd400 m45.671st4 × 400 m relay3:09.24UniversiadeSofia, Bulgaria1st800 m1:43.44 (WR)World CupDüsseldorf, West Germany1st400 m45.3611st800 m1:44.0413rd4 × 400 m relay3:02.7711978Central American and Caribbean GamesMedellín, Colombia1st400 m44.271st800 m1:47.233rd4 × 400 m relay3:05.571979Pan American GamesSan Juan, Puerto Rico2nd400 m45.242nd800 m1:46.43rd4 × 400 m relay3:06.31980Olympic GamesMoscow, Soviet Union4th400 m45.091981Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic1st800 m1:47.591982Central American and Caribbean GamesHavana, Cuba1st800 m1:45.151st4 × 400 m relay3:03.591983World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland28th (h)800 m1:48.4021984Friendship GamesMoscow, Soviet Union1st800 m1:45.683rd4 × 400 m relay3:04.76 1Representing the Americas 2Did not start in the semifinals

Rankings Juantorena was ranked among the best in the world in both the 400 and 800 m sprint events over the spread of 10 seasons from 1973 to 1982, according to the experts of Track & Field News. +World RankingsYear400 m800 m1973 3rd –1974 1st –1975 4th –1976 1st 1st1977 1st 1st1978 1st 6th1979 5th –1980 10th –1981 – – 1982 – 2nd

Best performances +400 metersYearResultWorld rankLocationDate19731973 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 45.36 6th Moscow 18 Aug19741974 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 44.7 1st Turin 24 Jul19751975 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 44.80 2nd Mexico City 18 Oct19761976 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 44.26PB 1st Montreal 29 Jul19771977 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 44.65 1st Havana 13 Sep19781978 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 44.27 1st Medellin 16 Jul19791979 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 45.24 10th San Juan 12 Jul19801980 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 45.09 6th Moscow 30 Jul1982 45.51 25th Koblenz 25 Aug

+ 800 metersYearResultWorld rankLocationDate19761976 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 1.43.50 1st Montreal 25 Jul19771977 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 1.43.44PB 1st Sofia 21 Aug19781978 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 1.44.38 4th Cologne 22 Jun19791979 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018. 1.46.4 24th San Juan 9 Jul1981 1.46.0 20th Havana 4 Jul1982 1.45.15 14th Havana 11 Aug1983 1.45.04 18th Havana 17 Jun1984 1.44.88 22nd Florence 13 Jun

Alberto Juantorena

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