In July 1987, Aliuska López Pedroso He had not turned 18 when he devoured 100 meters of obstacles in 12.84 seconds during the Universiade in Zagreb. Does that tell you a little? Well, read the following carefully: since then, only four! athletes under the age of 20 have managed to surpass this mark. Simply wonderful.
To her world youth record, the Havana girl will later add a series of attractive conquests in a cake whose icing was the triumph in the 1995 interior universal event. Finalist in two of the three Olympics, the fourth in the 1993 planetary game, three times gold at the Pan American Games, her long two-decade career came to crown her as the best short Cuban obstacle of all time.
The arrival of the 21st century saw her settle on Spanish soil, and for that country she competed on the slopes in recent seasons. Cordial and diligent, right from there he agreed to hold this exchange with CiberCuba.
You set two junior world records in Zagreb, but then you couldn’t get close to the senior mark. Do you feel that your progress has stopped or maybe those times of the Bulgarians Zagorcheva and Donkova were simply unattainable?
– I don’t think my progression has stopped. At that time, there were high-level runners with a lot of potential, especially physically. There were other times, when, unfortunately, we did not go on equal terms, because those were the times “everything works”. But I was in the world and Olympic finals and that makes me think that I had very good results.
Do you still think the biggest thing in your career was returning to Havana’s Pan American Stadium in 1991, with your whole family applauding you?
“It wasn’t the biggest thing I’ve done in my career, but it was one of the best moments I’ve ever had.” That moment to see a stadium packed like never before, people clapping, shouting your name and, above all, seeing my father’s face with a smile and eyes with tears of joy … I grew up running through those fields, for that the stadium was built in what was the yard of my house, where my cousin was Ivan Pedroso and I’ve been doing athletics since I was little.
How could a tall athlete like you win a 60-meter hurdles world final?
“I wouldn’t know how to answer this question myself.” It was a very clean race from a technical point of view. That year I reached the World Cup in a magnificent sports form, I had made a good preparation and I did several competitions that helped me gain confidence. I never considered myself a good start, but I had my days and that was one of them. Normally, my strength was the last hurdle, but I will tell you that sometimes the first hurdles were better and at other times I lacked a little strength, as I did at the Sydney Olympics. The truth is, 60 with fences was very short.
How much does it hurt you not to have won an Olympic medal?
– Every athlete’s dream is an Olympic medal, so if I say it doesn’t hurt, I would be lying. But I am very happy with my sports achievements, because every time I went out on the slopes I gave my all. I think that participating in three Olympics and getting a fifth and sixth place is not an easy thing, because for that you have to stay in shape during three Olympic cycles and make sure that your injuries respect you. Honestly, I’m more than happy.
Once you decided to emigrate to Spain, you had the experience of competing under another flag. Did you feel weird or did you take the change easily?
—First of all, I am very grateful to Spain for opening the door for me to continue competing and to see athletics from a different point of view. Now, I will tell you that for me it was not the same feeling as when I was competing for Cuba. I felt like I was missing something. A different feeling, to the point where I never got to adapt to that new condition. However, I reiterate that I am very grateful to this country.
Why, if you emigrated legally from Cuba after marrying a Spanish citizen, did it take 16 years before you returned to your country? I read that it was all because you left with an official passport, but do you think it justified such a long sentence?
“So far, I don’t have an answer to this question.” No one ever told me the reason for the endless 16 years of not being able to enter Cuba and see my family.. It’s been 16 years since I lost my father’s life, which I could barely be with after 15 days because he was just waiting for me to leave happy. It is very sad that I have not yet had an answer.
In an interview you said that “Cuba forces you to long.” Have you ever thought about definitely coming back for sure?
“My whole family lives in Cuba, so one day I hope to return to my country for good.”
What city do you live in and what are you currently doing?
—I live in Asturias and work at the Oviedo athletics club with children aged 9 and 10. I also teach directed activities in a gym.
Who was the best Cuban obstacle of all time? In what order would you place those in the back?
“Everyone who went through the obstacle course had our moment.” To tell you an order would be unfair, but for me because of its power, because of the fact that it knows how to be on the slopes and because of its insanity, I think the best was Anier Garcia. This without diminishing Dayron Robles, Emilio Valle, Alejandro Casañas and the 100 girls with fences.
Would the Cuban fence school have been as glorious without Santiago Antúnez?
—Each coach has his little book and there have been many very good books, such as Heriberto Fernández, one of the best that Cuba has had. But what I am sure of is that Santiago is the best for me and that if I start my sports life again, he will continue to be my obstacle wizard.
In your opinion, what is happening with Cuban athletics today?
—I have been away from Cuba for many years and performing sports, I do not know what is happening at the moment in Cuban athletics and sports in general, but I imagine that they have stopped looking for careers in EIDE, municipalities, provinces, which were a fundamental part of the deposits. The little I saw when I visited Cuba was the deterioration of sports facilities, the lack of tracks for training children and the lack of motivation. The territories do not have the necessary conditions and I do not see athletes that union that existed in my time, when we were all a big family.