Athletics | Belgrade World Cup
The Murcian athlete wins the indoor title after a spectacular comeback, with Álvaro de Arriba fourth in the final
The Spanish athlete Mariano García was proclaimed this Saturday world champion in the indoor track in 800 meters, during the second day of the competition that takes place in Belgrade. The Murcian signed a time of 1:46:20, after starring in a spectacular comeback in the final stretch of the race, in which Álvaro de Arriba, European champion in 2019, finished fourth, with 1:46.58.
Mariano García surprised with the gold medal, although with the best world record of the year (1:45.12), he was one of the candidates for the podium in the 800 meters. In the final he came to be last after the first lap, but halfway through the test he climbed to third place and, at the sound of the bell, in the final counter-straight he launched his definitive attack to achieve a lead that he would not lose.
Launched by Canadian Marco Arop, the athlete from Fuente Álamo made a tactically perfect race, to win the third gold for Spanish athletics in the history of indoor World Championships. Until now, Colomán Trabado (also in the 800 meters, in 1985), and Manolo Martínez (in the shot put, in 2003) were the only Spanish athletes who had won a world title on the indoor track. Silver in the 800 final in Belgrade went to Kenyan Noah Kibet (1:46.35), and bronze to American Bryce Hoppel (1:46.51).
The cross went to Álvaro de Arriba, who brushed the podium. «I warned that I was going to leave everything on the track. I saw that they almost passed me and I told myself that I had to hold on. It was difficult for me to enter the race and in the end I was short on meters. Now this fourth place hurts a bit, but over time we will assess it, “said De Arriba.
#Mariano #García #meters #world #champion