Manuel Olemdo to compete at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu – Spanish Championships
As the 91st Spanish Championships concluded in Malaga, Spain, athletes hailing from the country put in their best to outdo their rivals in order to contest at the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The passion of athletes was commendable
in Malaga, as while running under extremely hot conditions, their determination for emerging in the contest left spectators amazed.
A contest where there was no dearth of talent and potential for athletics, Manuel Olmedo, the middle distance runner, Mario Pestano, the Discus thrower and Antonietta Di Martino, the High jumper stole the show in their respective disciplines. However, for
the depiction of an electrifying performance, it was Olemdo who claimed most part of the limelight.
Besides Olemdo’s charismatic personality and his popularity among local spectators, it was also the status of the 1500m run that made the discipline as the most awaited contest of the event. The Spanish Championships, though, was marred by the absence of
an injured Arturo Casado, the European champion for the distance, who will also be missing the world championships this year. Despite his absence, the field, in presence of a number of notable runners still extended a worth watching deal for spectators.
The championships displayed a traditional cagey look in the contests over the 400m and 800m distances. The sizzle in the grapple was introduced when Juan Carlos Higuero, the third finisher of the World Indoors, propelled into a 1200m distance in a time of
3 minutes and 15.71 seconds. Next on the cards was a long distance battle (1500m), where Diego Ruiz was the first to lead the meet.
However, his lead over the rest of the lot proved to be short lived as while following him closely, Olmedo decided to outdo him via his devastating strides when the finishing line was a mere 150m away. The strength depicted by Olemdo was matchless, as while
overcoming his archrival and pushing him about 10m behind, he was the first to claim his authority over the top of the podium for romping home in three minutes and 53.86 seconds.
The second position was pre-decided in favour of Ruiz, who defeated Francisco Javier Abad for a second finish in three minutes and 54.65 seconds. For finishing in three minutes and 54.66 seconds, Abad was the third to hit the finishing line. Higuero could
only settle for a fifth position in the event.
For Olmedo, it was a double delight, as he not only successfully defended his title, but also earned his ticket to the World Championships event in Daegu. Commenting on his success, he said, “I’m delighted as I have retained my title from last year. I really
felt superb during the race, everything went right. My homestraight has been fantastic.”
With this spectacular success, the Spanish runner will certainly look forward to the Daegu event with a more positive and confident frame of mind.
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