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Alberto Juantorena

Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950)[4] 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 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.[2]

Alberto Juantorena
Juantorena winning the 800 m final at the 1976 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameAlberto Juantorena Danger[1]
Nickname(s)El Caballo
El elegante de las pistas[2]
Born (1950-12-03) 3 December 1950 (age 73)[1]
Santiago de Cuba[1]
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight84 kg (185 lb)[2]
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 m, 800 m
Coached byZygmunt Zabierzowski
Retired1984
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 m – 44.26 (1976)
800 m – 1:43.44 (1977)[2][3]
Medal record
Representing  Cuba
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal 800 m
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1975 Mexico City 400 m
Silver medal – second place 1975 Mexico City 4×400 m
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan 400 m
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan 800 m
Bronze medal – third place 1979 San Juan 4×400 m
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place 1974 Santo Domingo 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1978 Medellín 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1978 Medellín 800 m
Gold medal – first place 1982 Havana 800 m
Central American and Caribbean Championships
Gold medal – first place 1973 Maracaibo 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1981 Santo Domingo 800 m
Silver medal – second place 1977 Ponce 400 m
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1973 Moscow 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1977 Sofia 800 m
Friendship Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Moscow 800 m
Representing Americas
IAAF World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1977 Düsseldorf 400 m
Gold medal – first place 1977 Düsseldorf 800 m
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Düsseldorf 4×400 m
Updated on 6 June 2015

Biography

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Early sports activities

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As 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,[5] and was a member of the national team.[1] Meanwhile, he had been a regional high-school champion at 800 and 1500 meters.[6] 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.[7] 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.[1] 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 in to trying an 800 m race by convincing him the other runners needed a pacemaker.[8]

Olympics 1976

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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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[5][11]

Subsequent athletics career

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In 1977, he set another world record in the 800, running 1:43.44 in Sofia at the World University Games.[2] He also won both the 400 m and 800 m at the 1977 IAAF World Cup.[12] 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.[13] 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),[1] 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.[14] In 1978 he was unbeaten at the 400 m, but suffered his first ever defeat at 800 meters.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] 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.

 
Juantorena at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics

After retirement

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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,[5] 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.[17]

Personal life

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Juantorena was first married in 1972 to Yria, a former gymnast, with whom he had two children;[5] He married twice more before meeting his current wife Yolanda, an employee of Cubana de Aviación. He has seven children in total.[17] His nephew Osmany Juantorena is a professional volleyball player.[2] 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

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Cuba
1972 Olympic Games Munich, West Germany 11th (sf) 400 m 46.07
1973 Central American and Caribbean Championships Maracaibo, Venezuela 1st 400 m 46.4
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:10.1
Universiade Moscow, Soviet Union 1st 400 m 45.36
1974 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1st 400 m 45.52
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.36
1975 Pan American Games Mexico City, Mexico 2nd 400 m 44.80
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.82
1976 Olympic Games Montreal, Canada 1st 400 m 44.26
1st 800 m 1:43.50 (WR)
7th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.81
1977 Central American and Caribbean Championships Xalapa, Mexico 2nd 400 m 45.67
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:09.24
Universiade Sofia, Bulgaria 1st 800 m 1:43.44 (WR)
World Cup Düsseldorf, West Germany 1st 400 m 45.361
1st 800 m 1:44.041
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.771
1978 Central American and Caribbean Games Medellín, Colombia 1st 400 m 44.27
1st 800 m 1:47.23
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.57
1979 Pan American Games San Juan, Puerto Rico 2nd 400 m 45.24
2nd 800 m 1:46.4
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.3
1980 Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 4th 400 m 45.09
1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1st 800 m 1:47.59
1982 Central American and Caribbean Games Havana, Cuba 1st 800 m 1:45.15
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.59
1983 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 28th (h) 800 m 1:48.402
1984 Friendship Games Moscow, Soviet Union 1st 800 m 1:45.68
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.76

1Representing the Americas
2Did not start in the semifinals

Rankings

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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.[18][19]

World Rankings
Year 400 m 800 m
1973 3rd –
1974 1st –
1975 4th –
1976 1st 1st
1977 1st 1st
1978 1st 6th
1979 5th –
1980 10th –
1981 – –
1982 – 2nd

Best performances

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400 meters
Year Result World rank Location Date
1973[20] 45.36 6th Moscow 18 Aug
1974[21] 44.7 1st Turin 24 Jul
1975[22] 44.80 2nd Mexico City 18 Oct
1976[23] 44.26
PB 		1st Montreal 29 Jul
1977[24] 44.65 1st Havana 13 Sep
1978[25] 44.27 1st Medellin 16 Jul
1979[26] 45.24 10th San Juan 12 Jul
1980[27] 45.09 6th Moscow 30 Jul
1982 45.51 25th Koblenz 25 Aug
800 meters
Year Result World rank Location Date
1976[28] 1.43.50 1st Montreal 25 Jul
1977[29] 1.43.44
PB 		1st Sofia 21 Aug
1978[30] 1.44.38 4th Cologne 22 Jun
1979[31] 1.46.4 24th San Juan 9 Jul
1981 1.46.0 20th Havana 4 Jul
1982 1.45.15 14th Havana 11 Aug
1983 1.45.04 18th Havana 17 Jun
1984 1.44.88 22nd Florence 13 Jun


Track records

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As of 19 September 2024, Juantorena holds the following track records for 400 metres and 800 metres.


400 metres

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Location Time Date Notes
Dresden 44.92 19/05/1976
Medellín 44.27 16/07/1978
Montreal 44.26
PB		 29/07/1976 This was the sea‑level world record until
Butch Reynolds (USA) bettered it on 3 May 1987.

800 metres

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Location Time Date Notes
Bratislava 1:44.97 10/06/1978
Bydgoszcz 1:43.66 19/06/1977
Düsseldorf 1:44.04 02/09/1977
Montreal 1:43.50 25/07/1976 Former WR, former Olympic record
Santiago de Cuba 1:45.99 21/05/1978
Sofia 1:43.44
PB		 21/08/1977 Former WR for nearly two years

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Alberto Juantorena". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alberto Juantorena". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  3. ^ Alberto Juantorena. trackfield.brinkster.net
  4. ^ Various dates have been given for Juantorena's birth, with 3 December 1950 (The International Who's Who 2004 (Europa Publications) and [1]) 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))
  5. ^ a b c d Robb, Sharon (21 June 1980) "Treasure Island Cuba Doesn't Just Love Sports Heroes. It Worships Them". SunSentinel.
  6. ^ Sandrock, p. 206
  7. ^ Hill, Garry (November 1977). "Archived copy" (PDF). Track and Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Sandrock, p. 207
  9. ^ 'Alberto Juantorena 1976 Olympics 800' on YouTube
  10. ^ 'Legendary: El Caballo Romps' on YouTube
  11. ^ Alberto Juantorena. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  12. ^ Morre, K. (12 September 1977) "The Cup Turned Into a Coup", Sports Illustrated.
  13. ^ '1977 World Cup 400 m – men' on YouTube
  14. ^ a b Sandrock, p. 217
  15. ^ '1983 IAAF World Championship Men's 800 Meter heat' on YouTube
  16. ^ Sandrock, p. 218
  17. ^ a b IAAF Council Member Biography. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  18. ^ "World Rankings Index—Men's 400 meters" (PDF). Track and Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  19. ^ "World Rankings Index—Men's 800 meters" (PDF). Track and Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  20. ^ 1973 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  21. ^ 1974 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  22. ^ 1975 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  23. ^ 1976 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  24. ^ 1977 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  25. ^ 1978 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  26. ^ 1979 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  27. ^ 1980 Year Rankings at 400m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  28. ^ 1976 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  29. ^ 1977 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  30. ^ 1978 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.
  31. ^ 1979 Year Rankings at 800m. Digilander.libero.it. Retrieved on 25 June 2018.

Cited sources

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  • Sandrock, Michael (1996) Running with the Legends. Human Kinetics. ISBN 0873224930.
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Records
Preceded by Men's 800 m World Record Holder
1976-07-16 – 1979-07-05 		Succeeded by
Awards and achievements
Preceded by United Press International
Athlete of the Year
1976–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1976–1977 		Succeeded by


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