CUBA: ATHLETICS - Cuban hurdler and Beijing 2008 gold medal winner Dayron Robles hopes to overcome leg injury and win another gold medal

Record ID: 330799

  • Title: CUBA: ATHLETICS - Cuban hurdler and Beijing 2008 gold medal winner Dayron Robles hopes to overcome leg injury and win another gold medal
  • Date: 8th June 2012
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CUBAN HURDLER DAYRON ROBLES, GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN THE BEIJING 2008, STRETCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN HURDLER DAYRON ROBLES, GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN THE BEIJING 2008, SAYING: "My goal now is London, and I want to do the best I can there. Whether or not I take the gold, I'm looking to be in the best possible shape. I'm giving all the best advice to my team-mates and they are observing. I love it because in the end this a school for hurdlers and there is continuity. That makes me very happy. I'm not going to leave a hole here when I go and that makes me even happier." ROBLES GETTING READY TO START ROBLES TALKING TO TRAINER SANTIAGO ANTUNEZ (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TRAINER SANTIAGO ANTUNEZ SAYING: "The Olympic games are the Olympic games. All the competitors are training hard. We've already seen Liu Xiang get 13.09 seconds. There's (U.S. hurdler David) Oliver who got 13.12. Everyone is training well." ROBLES TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN HURDLER DAYRON ROBLES, GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN THE BEIJING 2008, SAYING: "The favourites are everyone who has the possibility to make it to the final. That's the goal of all the athletes. There anything can happen. In the final, each one is going to fight for the best position- him (Liu Xiang), Oliver, Jason Richardson. We're at such a high level right now that one doesn't know who will win." VARIOUS OF ROBLES TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 23rd June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cuba
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9SJFTBEK410QQHXSSY79K6RMW
  • Story Text: Cuba's Olympic hurdling champion Dayron Robles has been slowed by a leg injury but hopes to put it behind and pick up another gold medal in London.
    A mild inflammation in his leg will keep Robles out of this weekend's New York Grand Prix, but should not jeopardise his London Games participation.
    The 25-year-old Robles, who holds the world record in 110 metres hurdles, told Reuters in May he was training for London while bringing up a new generation of hurdlers in Havana.
    "My goal now is London, and I want to do the best I can there. Whether or not I take the gold, I'm looking to be in the best possible shape. I'm giving all the best advice to my team-mates and they are observing. I love it because in the end this a school for hurdlers and there is continuity. That makes me very happy. I'm not going to leave a hole here when I go and that makes me even happier," said Robles.
    He may be doing too good of job of bringing up young hurdlers. Last month, 20-year-old Orlando Ortega beat him in Havana, and Ortega will make the trip to New York to measure himself against other top hurdlers like world champion Jason Richardson and 2008 Olympic bronze medallist David Oliver.
    Robles' trainer Santiago Antunez pointed out that Oliver and China's Liu Xiang have turned in fast times.
    "The Olympic games are the Olympic games. All the competitors are training hard. We've already seen Liu Xiang get 13.09 seconds. There's (U.S. hurdler David) Oliver who got 13.12. Everyone is training well," Antunez said.
    Robles also withdrew from the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, because of a delayed visa. Former world record holder Liu lived up to the billing in Oregon, matching Robles's world record of 12.87 seconds, but was denied a share of the mark because of an assisting wind.
    Robles took the world record from Liu when he sped 12.87 seconds in June 2008. Months later he won Olympic gold in Beijing when an injured Liu was forced to withdraw.
    "The favourites are everyone who has the possibility to make it to the final. That's the goal of all the athletes. There anything can happen. In the final, each one is going to fight for the best position- him (Liu Xiang), Oliver, Jason Richardson. We're at such a high level right now that one doesn't know who will win," Robles said of the upcoming duel in London.
    Although he is often injured, Robles holds two of the three fastest 110 metres hurdles times ever and along with his Olympic title is the 2010 world indoor champion.
    He won last year's outdoor world championship but was disqualified for obstructing Liu.
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