La Habana CUB - Aymée Martinez and Hector Dairon Fuentes lead the eight-member Cuban team for the 4th IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics, to be held in Marrakech, July 13-17.

Both are placed among the year leaders in their respective disciplines as the small squad hopes to maintain the Island’s good results in the short history of the event.

Martínez ran 52.57 at the Barrientos Memorial in Havana in May, and clocked 23.67 at 200m during the first ALBA Games in the Cuban capital.

“I have trained well and I want to achieve my goal and win the gold medal. The 400m is my favourite event and I am sure I can improve my best time in the Worlds”, said Martinez, coached by former 400m runner Victor Victores.

“The jumps and the throws have always been the best events for our country, but we want to show that we can also perform well on the track. There is a lot of sacrifice behind these marks and I see the Worlds as a good platform in my athletic career,” she added.

The 16-year old from the western province of Pinar del Río is the country’s newest hope in the sprint and she is very close to the national 400m junior record (52.39), set by Yudalis Diaz in 1998.

Hector Dairon Fuentes inherits a successful tradition in the Triple Jump, an event where Cuba has achieved six of its 13 medals at the World Youth Championships.

The 17-year old from Havana has a personal best of 16.58s, which makes him a strong candidate to reach the podium.

“I have made great progress this year and I know that my training partners have competed very well in the previous championships. We want to keep the good results of Cuban triple jumpers,” commented Fuentes.

He will be accompanied by Yordanis Durañona (15.87), the son of the first Cuban man to high jump two metres: Miguel Durañona.

The Throws feature Osmel Charlot in the Discus (60.00) and Yanet Cruz (53.20).

Also on the track, Gisel Velazco will run the 400m Hurdles (59.77) and Jorge Valcarcel will contest the 200m (21.34).

High hopes are centered on Yordanis Garcia in the Octathlon as he shows a personal best of 6099 points.

Cuba has participated in the past three editions of the World Youth Champs, with a total of 13 medals (three gold, six silver and four bronze), making it the second most medalled Latin American and Caribbean country in these events.

Jamaica is the leader with 17 medals (6-6-5).

Sherbrooke, Canada, was the most successful edition as the Island claimed two titles, thanks to Dennis Fernandez (Triple) and Lisandra Rodriguez (Discus).

Of the previous 13 medallists, Yunaika Crawford went on to clinch the Hammer bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and Yoandri Betanzos won the 2003 World Championships silver medal in Paris and the 2004 Indoor World bronze in Budapest.

Crawford, Betanzos and other former World Youth medallists are expected to represent the country at the 10th IAAF World Championships to be held in Helsinki, August 6-14.

Two other men still hold the best marks ever for athletes aged under 18 years old: Javier Sotomayor in the High Jump (2.33 in 1984) and Luis Bueno in the Long Jump (8.25 in 1986).

The past 13 Cuban medallists at the World Youth Champs are as follows:

Gold (3)

Mabel Gay TJ 1999

Lisandra Rodríguez DT 2003

Dennis Fernández TJ 2003

Silver (6)

Yunaika Crawford HT 1999

Claudel Garzón 400m 1999

Sergio Hierrezuelo 400m H 1999

Yoelmis Pacheco LJ 1999

Yoandri Betanzos TJ 1999

David Giralt TJ 2001

Bronze (4)

Ana W. López 200m 1999

Anay Tejeda 100m H 1999

Yusmay Bicet TJ 1999

Osniel Tosca TJ 2001