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Mo Katir and Mario García Romo give up the European Athletics Indoor Track to better prepare for the Outdoor World Cup

2023-02-07T13:31:52.445Z


The two great figures of Spanish athletics were favorites to win a medal in the 1,500m and 3,000m events in Istanbul from March 3 to 6, as was Mariano García, the 800m world champion, who has not yet decided what to do


Katir, in the center, and Mario García Romo, after the 1,500m final of the Oregon World Championship. JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT (EFE)

They are, perhaps, the best in Europe but they want to be the best in the world.

For this reason, they announce, in order to better prepare for the outdoor world championships in Budapest (August 18-27), they are going to shorten the indoor season, in which they are unbeatable, and they will forgo participating in the

indoor

European Championships in Istanbul. (March 3 to 6) and, incidentally, to the national championship (February 17 to 19).

They are middle-distance runners.

A delay in the start of the summer charging cycle caused by a competition in March, would be catastrophic for their aspirations.

They already believe that they are there to compete with the best in the world and reach the top.

That's what they and their coaches think.

The federation already knows the planning of the athletes.

Wait and respect.

"From the federation we will do everything possible so that their preparation is the best possible," says José Luis Peiró, national athletics coach.

"If they consider that the best thing for them is not to do indoor track, go ahead, even if it is the competition in which it is less complicated to achieve medals."

He talks about Mo Katir, world medalist in the 1,500m and European outdoors in the 5,000m and Mario García Romo, medalist at the European Championships in Munich last summer in the 1,500m, in which the fans place so much hope.

"And it may also be that Mariano García will not go to Istanbul either," says Gabi Llorente, Katir's coach and also the 800m world indoor and European outdoor champion, two from Murcia, one from Mula and the other from Cuevas de Reyllo.

“We haven't decided yet.

He will do the Spanish championship and the Madrid rally.

Then we'll see, but we don't want to delay summer preparation.

This was the plan, load a lot in the winter, run two or three tests and load again for the summer.

In Boston, Mariano García inaugurated the great New Balance indoor track by winning the 800m (1m 45.25s, second best world record of the year) and at almost the same time, his countryman and training partner Mo Katir, in Normandy, left all with their mouths open running the 1,500m as only the great Kenyans (or Jakob Ingebrigtsen) do, urging the hare, fluid stride, almost relaxed, very fast.

Only.

He won with 3m 35.48s, the best world mark of the year.

And, also in Boston, Esther Guerrero, 12 months after an injury that endangered her career, broke the Spanish

indoor record

of the mile (4m 24.92s) with a pace of 1,500m in 4m 6.70s, his best mark ever.

A week earlier, in the capital of Massachusetts, Mario García Romo had also run the 3,000m in 7m 34.74s, the third best world mark of the year.

At that time, Quique Llopis and Asier Martínez resumed their never-forgotten rivalry in the hurdles, this time with an advantage for the Valencian in the 60m (7.55s, compared to 7.57s for the Navarrese, European champion and world medalist; seventh and ninth best world brands of the year, respectively).

In Qatar, where he has spent two months training with Llorenç Solbes, Saúl Ordóñez was resurrected for athletics with a victorious 800m in 1m 46.04s.

It was a superb Saturday for Spanish athletics, a superb week, a superb start to winter.

Europe at your feet.

The fans take a calendar and, salivating, anticipate the upcoming dates, the weekend of the 19th, the Spanish championship, the 22nd;

the great meeting in Madrid, in Gallur, and from March 3 to 6, in Istanbul, the great end of the winter festival, the Europeans on the indoor track, and they lack fingers on both hands to count the medals with which they will return to Spain of the most accessible competition your favorite athletes.

A precious booty, they think.

And Asier Martinez.

Llopis, Esther Guerrero, Saúl Ordóñez, Jesús Gómez, the Burgos middle-distance runner who has returned to a high level after a year injured, and many other athletes think of Istanbul as a good goal at the beginning of the year.

Katir and García Romo think big, they think beyond.

Mario García Romo, after finishing his university years in the United States, has turned professional with the On team.

He trains in Vail, Colorado with coach Dathan Ritzenheim and some of the best middle-distance runners in the world.

He will compete at the Millrose Games in New York next Saturday and on the 22nd at the Madrid rally.

Then he will return to the Rockies.

"If you fail in summer, the indoor track doesn't count for anything, it's quickly forgotten," says Llorente, who sums up the athletes' philosophy and recalls that last year, Mariano García was unable to prepare for the Oregon World Cup.

Not even Katir would go to Istanbul even if it is confirmed that the great world dominator Jakob Ingebrigtsen will not compete, which would be a great opportunity for Katir to win gold in the 1,500m and 3,000m.

“We are not doing it to belittle the indoor track: the most important championship is the outdoor World Cup.

Mariano has never reached an outdoor 800m grand final yet.

This year he knows that he can be at his best, reach the final and fight for everything.

Last year, with the celebrations and treats after their World Cup in Belgrade, the preparation was delayed a month”.

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Source: elparis

All sports articles on 2023-02-07

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