The ‘Messiah’ of Spanish speed has a name and surname – Abel Jordán, a 21-year-old from Madrid who’s making waves in the United States. What sets him apart is his remarkable acceleration capacity, a unique talent that was on full display during the 60-meter event at the Gallur Municipal Sports Center.
Abel may not have had the fastest start, but he more than made up for it with his incredible acceleration, finishing with a time of 6.54 – a new Spanish Sub’23 record that puts him at the top of the European leaderboard, tied with Sweden’s Henrik Larsson. Jorge Hernández, a 19-year-old athlete, came in second with 6.68, followed by Guillem Crespí, a European finalist in the 100 meters.
It’s worth noting that the absolute record is still held by Yunier Pérez, a Hispanic-Cuban athlete who achieved 6.52 back in 2018 – just two hundredths faster than Abel’s time. Abel’s achievement has also pushed ‘Bird’ Rodríguez down to third place in the historical rankings, as he previously held the second spot with a time of 6.55.
Looking ahead, Abel is set to compete in the 60-meter hurdles final on Sunday, where he’ll face stiff competition from favorites Quique Llopis and Asier Martínez, both Olympic finalists.
The best Maribel returns
Abel’s impressive performance was just one of the highlights of a fantastic day for Spanish speed. Earlier, Maribel Pérez had broken her own Spanish record in the 60 meters with a time of 7.15. She then went on to win the final, narrowly edging out her friend Jaël Bestué by just five thousandths, with both athletes finishing at 7.18.
Maribel’s return to top form is a significant boost for Spanish speed. She led the team to a historic fifth place in the short relay at the 2022 Eugene World Cup, and in the same year, she broke the national record in the 60 meters four times – a record that had stood since 1990, held by Sandra Mayers. However, recurring hamstring injuries had been holding her back, preventing her from performing at her best. Now, with the 2025 season underway, she’s dreaming of making it to the European final in Apeldoorn, potentially alongside Besué.
‘Sorpasso’ by Agueda Marqués
In the women’s 3,000 meters, Águeda Marqués emerged victorious with a time of 9:12.30, ahead of Marta García, who finished in 9:13.06. This was a remarkable ‘sorpasso’ by the Segoviana, who’s having a season to remember. The race was largely tactical, with Marqués saving her best for the end. After two frantic laps where Marta tried to catch up, Marqués took the lead at the beginning of the last curve, securing her win. Idaira Prieto came in third with 9:19.26.
The men’s 3,000 meters saw a dominant performance by Pol Oriach, who finished in 7:57.51. Eduardo Menacho took second place with 8:00.13, followed by Yahya Aouina, who finished in 8:02.57.
