Eduar Antonio Villanueva (born 29 December 1984) is a Venezuelan middle-distance runner. He represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics and has participated in the World Championships in Athletics on three consecutive occasions (2007, 2009, 2011). In 2011 he had the best ever performance by a Venezuelan runner at the World Championships, coming eighth in the 1500 metres. He set a Venezuelan record of 3:36.96 minutes in the semi-final.

In regional competition, Villanueva is a two-time bronze medallist at the South American Championships in Athletics and has won a gold medal at both the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Central American and Caribbean Championships. He was a participant at the 2007 Pan American Games.

Running career Born in Barquisimeto, Lara, he won his first international medal at the 2004 South American Under-23 Championships held in his hometown, where he took the 5000 metres bronze medal.South American Under-23 Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. He ran in the 1500 metres at the 2005 Bolivarian Games and set a personal best of 3:46.32 minutes, finishing in fourth place.Eduardo Villanueva. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

The 2006 season saw him establish himself as a senior athlete. He was third in the 800 metres at the 2006 Ibero-American Championships,Ibero-American Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. won his first national title over 1500 m, and represented Venezuela at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. At the Games he ran two personal bests: 1:48.21 min for fifth in the 800 m and 3:44.27 min for fourth in the 1500 m. He came fifth in the 800 m in his senior continental debut at the 2006 South American Championships in Athletics. He won two medals at the 2006 South American Under-23 event, winning the 1500 m and coming a close second to Brazil's Kléberson Davide in the shorter race.Biscayart, Eduardo (2006-11-13). Brazil best at South American U-23. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

At the 2007 South American Championships in Athletics he won his first medal on the continental stage, securing the bronze medal behind Byron Piedra and Leandro de Oliveira.Biscayart, Eduardo (2007-06-10). 14.57 Area Triple Jump Record for Costa as South American Champs finish. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. Villanueva was chosen to run for his nation at the 2007 Pan American Games and came sixth in the 1500 m with a personal best of 3:41.74 min and ended the competition by running an 800 m best of 1:48.05 min in the heats of that event.2007 Pan American Games results . Rio2007. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. He gained selection for the Venezuelan team at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics held the following month and he improved his 800 m best further by running a time of 1:46.33 min in the heats.. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

In 2008 Villanueva made his global indoor debut at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships and also ran at the Olympics for the first time, competing in the heats of the 800 m at the 2008 Beijing Games. He was the 800 m silver medallist at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships, finishing behind Cuba's Andy González.Biscayart, Eduardo (2008-07-07). Cuba takes overall title in Cali; last day of CAC Champs beset by torrential rains. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. At the World Military Track and Field Championships in June 2009, he came fourth in the 1500 m. Villanueva won a consecutive 1500 m bronze at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics, but was the gold medallist in the event at the 2009 CAC Championships.Biscayart, Eduardo (2009-06-20). Murer vaults 4.60m at South American Championships – Day 1 report . IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.Clavelo Robinson, Javier (2009-07-05). Suarez tallies World leading 8654 points in Decathlon - CAC Champs Day 2 . IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. He was selected to run the 800 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics (although he had focused on the longer distance regionally) and was eliminated in the first round.

Villanueva was runner-up to Spain's David Bustos in the 1500 m at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships.Valiente, Emeterio (2010-06-07). Murer vaults 4.85m Area Record as Cuba and Spain dominate in San Fernando – Ibero-American Championships report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10. He broke José López's 14-year-old Venezuelan record in the 1500 m with a run of 3:38.96 min in Barakaldo. The 2010 CAC Games saw him beat Moise Joseph to the 800 m gold medal and finish with a silver medal in the 1500 m behind Juan Luis Barrios. . Mayaguez2010. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

He focused more on the 1500 m in 2011 and spent much of the season based in Spain with his coach Mariano Gonzalo. Villanueva improved his 1500 m national record to 3:38.29 minutes at a meeting in Barcelona in July 2011 and gained selection for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea. At the competition, he qualified for the 1500 m final by running a personal best of 3:36.96 min in the semi-finals. In the final he finished in eighth place, which was the best ever performance by a Venezuelan track runner at the world championships (improving upon William Wuycke's run in 1987).Villanueva hace historia y clasifica en la final de 1.500 metros . La Patilla (2011-09-01). Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

Personal bests Outdoor 800 m: 1:46.33 min – Osaka, Japan, 30 August 2007 1500 m: 3:36.96 min – Daegu, South Korea, 1 September 2011 3000 m: 8:13.12 min – Valparaíso, Chile, 22 April 2007 Indoor 800 m: 1:49.75 min – Valencia, Spain, 9 February 2008

Achievements Representing 2004South American Under-23 ChampionshipsBarquisimeto, Venezuela3rd5000 m15:52.40 min2005Bolivarian GamesArmenia, Colombia4th1500 m3:46.32 min A2006Ibero-American ChampionshipsPonce, Puerto Rico3rd800 m1:48.31 min6th1500 m3:48.72 minCentral American and Caribbean GamesCartagena, Colombia5th800 m1:48.21 min4th1500 m3:44.27 minSouth American ChampionshipsTunja, Colombia5th800 m1:52.91 min ASouth American Under-23 Championships /<br/ > South American GamesBuenos Aires, Argentina2nd800 m1:51.24 min1st1500 m3:51.54 min2007ALBA GamesCaracas, Venezuela3rd1500 m3:46.22 minSouth American ChampionshipsSão Paulo, Brazil3rd1500 m3:43.40 minPan American GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil8th (h)800 m1:48.05 min6th1500 m3:41.74 minWorld ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan6th (h)800 m1:46.33 min2008World Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain15th (h)800 m1:51.83 minIbero-American ChampionshipsIquique, Chile6th800 m1:49.84 min5th1500 m3:43.59 minCentral American and Caribbean ChampionshipsCali, Colombia2nd800 m1:46.92 min AOlympic GamesBeijing, China6th (h)800 m1:47.64 min2009ALBA GamesHavana, Cuba3rd800 m1:48.01 min3rd1500 m3:45.47 minWorld Military ChampionshipsSofia, Bulgaria4th (h)800 m1:50.99 min4th1500 m3:46.14 minSouth American ChampionshipsLima, Peru3rd1500 m3:43.23Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsHavana, Cuba1st1500 m3:42.23 minWorld ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany6th (h)800 m1:48.612010Ibero-American ChampionshipsSan Fernando, Spain2nd1500 m3:43.72 minCentral American and Caribbean GamesMayagüez, Puerto Rico1st800 m1:47.73 min2nd1500 m3:45.04 min2011World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea8th1500 m3:37.31 minPan American GamesGuadalajara, Mexico3rd1500 m3:54.06 min2012Ibero-American ChampionshipsBarquisimeto, Venezuela5th1500 m3:49.17 minOlympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom11th (h)1500 m3:43.11 min

References