Fabrice Zango took the indoor triple jump world record from his coach, Teddy Tamgho, who was walking on Tuesday along the track of the Palau Luis Puig while waiting for the athlete from Burkina Faso, who had missed the flight from Paris to Valencia in the morning, to finally reach the pit where he is confident that this Wednesday, at the Ciutat de València Grand Prix, he will hit the top of the table of world athletics. “Zango is ready to jump 18 meters. He has worked a lot on speed and he is faster than ever, but he has to control that speed and, if he gets it, he can jump a lot. And if he is not here, he will be in the next competition ”.
Tamgho is convinced that Zango is far superior to everyone in a triple jump contest that is the jewel in the crown of this Grand Prix with rivals as renowned as Nelson Evora (Olympic and world champion), Alexis Copello (has a record of 17.68) or Benjamin Compaore (European champion).
Another spotlight will point to the 60 meter straightwhere there will be two hurdles tests with a couple of Valencians, Quique Llopis Y Paula Blanquer, who are already in the international elite. The man from Bellreguard made his debut in Valencia ten days ago with a mark of 7.65 (he is in front of the Spanish ranking of the year with his great rival and friend Asier Martínez) and he is convinced that this Wednesday he will run faster, perhaps very close to his 7 .56, his personal best, which places him fourth all-time. Although the Valencian is in no hurry and knows that at the end of the road, from March 2 to 5, he awaits his goal, the European Championship in Istanbul.
Blanquer improves her record every time she takes to the track, although from the last one (8.16, eighth best of all time) she assures that she came out “very tired”. She doesn’t care. Her hallmark is her ability to compete. “I know that I will put myself in the tacos, I will activate and bring out the best in myself.” The reference, at least for now, is the 8.13 of Teresa Errandonea, Spanish leader of the year.
Mid-distance tests
In the middle distance tests, the return of Javier Mirón stands out after 19 months of absence due to various injuries. The New Balance athlete, author of the seventh best Spanish brand of all time in 800 (1:44.82), he has overcome all the setbacks and finally returns in a distance greater than his own, the 1,500, in which he will coincide with another specialist in the 800, the Galician Adrián Ben, Olympic and world finalist, and Thierry Ndikumwenayo, the athlete from Burundi who trains in Castellón and who has just received Spanish nationality.
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In the 3,000, the student intends to dethrone the teacher. Abderrahman El Khayami, an athlete from Sagunto, will attack the regional record set by his coach, José Antonio Redolat, who set it at 7:48.71 sixteen years ago, and come close to the minimum for the European Championships in Istanbul together with his main rivals, Gonzalo García and Dani Arce.
in the 800 metersthe Catalan Zoya Naumov, an athlete who has run in 2:02.15 indoors, will face the Mallorcan Daniela García (2:04.14), the Portuguese Salomé Alfonso and some of the best Valencians, such as Érika Torner or Marta Olmedo.
One of the races that is expected to be the most committed is the 3,000m in which Águeda Marqués wants to destroy her personal best (9:04.55) and run below the minimum for the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul (8:55.00). Next to her, the also Spanish Beatriz Álvarez and Solange Pereira (champion of Spain in various distances and 8:55.95 on the indoor track), the Turkish Emine Hatun Mechaal (sub20 European champion and a record of 8:55.91), the British Calli Thackery (8:48.10 outdoors and sixth in the 5,000 of the European Championship in Munich) and the Portuguese Mariana Machado (sub20 European runner-up and another who has dropped under nine minutes indoors).
The debut of Fátima Diame this season will take place in lengthwho never wants to miss out on the Grand Prix in her city, and who will face two of the most promising jumpers in Spanish athletics: Tessa Ebosele, 20, runner-up in a World Cup and a U20 European Championship, and Evelyn Yankey from Valencia, 19, who was a finalist last summer in the U20 World Cup.