Asier Martínez feeds the hopes on the fences

Asier Martínez is no longer that kid who came to Tokyo ready to enjoy his first Olympic Games and ended up surprising with his sixth place in the final. Now he is already a respected hurdler who arrives at the World Cup ready for anything. The Navarrese, at 22 years old, knows that it is more difficult to maintain himself than to reach the elite, but throughout the season he has shown signs of continuing to grow and except for a blur at the Paris rally a month ago, where in series he had equaled his best mark of the year with 13.30, Asier Martínez has made it clear that he is ready to fight in Eugene.

In the first round of the 110 meter hurdles, François Beoringyan’s pupil showed that self-confidence that allows him to run relaxed in the best events, and helped by a stumble by the American Daniel Roberts, he took the victory with 13.37 and a ‘rush’ final that leaves very good feelings for the semifinals. Together with him, Enrique Llopis won the time classification, fifth in the fourth series with 13:58.

The two Spanish representatives also left very good feelings in the 3,000 meters obstacles. Irene Sánchez Escribano and Carolina Robles achieved personal records, but in spite of everything they failed to qualify for a very high-level final. Sánchez Escribano from Toledo was tenth with 9:23.94, the second best Spanish mark of all time, while Carolina Robles was ninth with 9:28.24, fifth mark in the national ranking.

The final of the women’s 10,000 meters gave the Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey the prize of a great title that even Eugene had resisted. World record holder of 5,000, 10,000 and a half marathon, she had never been a world or Olympic champion on the track, but she worked hard for a title that confirms her as the best long-distance runner, with the permission of a Sifan Hassan who paid dearly for her lack of inactivity after his marathon test in Tokyo. Gidey, regular protagonist of big brands in Valencia – there he has broken the world record for the 15 km and a half marathon and announces the marathon attempt in December –, he needed that gold after having been silver in Doha and Olympic bronze in Tokyo.

He had to resolve a final where in the absence of 400 meters there were up to six candidates for the title. And she did it in a few agonizing final meters to make the best world record of the year (30.09.94). Behind her, the Kenyans Obiri (30:10.02) and Kipkemboi (30:10.07), while fourth was Sifan Hassan (30:10.56).

Gidey comes from the Tigray region, immersed in a civil war against the Ethiopian government, a conflict that has marked his personal life. The long-distance runner came to have problems leaving Mekele, the capital of Tigray where she lived since she was 15 years old and she was left without competing in 2020 in the Valencia half marathon, because of these difficulties. She had to flee to face a professional life that for two seasons has been giving her great satisfaction. She was the icing on the cake of a title, which came at the World Cup in Eugene.