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. 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. 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. He also won both the 400 m and 800 m at the 1977 IAAF World Cup. In 1977, he set another world record in the 800, running 1:43.44 in Sofia at the World University Games. 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. Three days later, he also won the 400 meter final, setting a low-altitude world record at 44.26. He was the first non-English speaking athlete to win Olympic gold in this event. Juantorena made it to the 800m Olympic final, and led the field for most of the race, eventually winning in a world record time of 1:43.50. His coach, Zabierzowski, had initially tricked him in to trying an 800 m race by convincing him the other runners needed a pacemaker. He only seriously took up running the 800 meters in 1976, so few thought he was a candidate for the Olympic gold that year. He was unbeaten in 19, but underwent two operations on his foot in 1975. 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. 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 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. His running talent was discovered by a Polish track coach, Zygmunt Zabierzowski, who convinced him to start running seriously. Meanwhile, he had been a regional high-school champion at 8 meters. Biography Early sports activities Īs a 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) 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. He was ranked as world's best runner in the 400 m in 19–1978, and in the 800 m in 1976–77, and was chosen as the Track & Field News Athlete of the Year in 19. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976. Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsĪlberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950) is a Cuban former runner.
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