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An
unforgettable record for
Ana Guevara
BY
ANNE-MARIE GARCÍA —Special for Granma
International—
MEXICAN
Ana Gabriela Guevara has set a new 300 meters world
record with a time of 35.3 seconds, in a much
awaited challenge with Cathy Freeman at the Mexican
Gran Prix underway in that county’s capital.
Right
from the start, Guevara left no doubt as to her
intentions in front of 50,000 fans.
"When
I began the race I wasn’t aware of anything, I
didn’t see where Cathy was, I just thought about
running and placing well. But when I got close to
the finishing line I heard the crowd shouting and it
was only then that I thought about the record. I
gave it a bit more and won," she
commented after receiving her prize.
Wrapped
in the Mexican flag and with a smile on her face,
she explained: "I never thought I could better
my time, (35.98 seconds) but the conditions in the
stadium, the altitude, the track and above all the
emotion I felt at being in Mexico in front of my
public, my family, my friends, made my confidence
grow."
Guevera,
whose best time in the 400 meters is 49.16 seconds,
was last year’s number one in her discipline; she
won the Gold League and was in the finals of the
Paris Gran Prix and the World Cup in Madrid, both
held last September.
The
current season has hardly begun but the 26-year-old
athlete affirmed that "this result is going to
boost my motivation, it’ll help me to train more
and to carry on winning."
The
first competition she faces is the Pan-American
Games, scheduled for August 1-17 in the Dominican
Republic, where she is all set to repeat her title
won in 1999. Next up is the World Championships in
Paris (August 23-31) where she hopes to improve on
her 2001 Edmonton result (she came third). And Ana
will probably once again come up against Freeman,
Olympic champion and double world titleholder in
Athens (1997) and Seville (1999).
"Of
course I’m thinking about the world games even
though it means 17 weeks of intense work
beforehand," states Guevara. After a pause she
adds: "So many things are passing through my
mind that I don’t know what to think. It’s like
trying to swallow a kilo of meat in one go; it’s
incredible, it’s going to take a few days before I
can assimilate what I did today."
Her
time in the 300 meters also bodes well for improving
her personal best in the 400 meters. Guevara plans
to run her first official 400 meters on June 1, in
Los Angeles.
But as
the stellar sprinter explained: "I’m not
going to compete much in 2003 because this is the
year to accumulate work with my sights set on 2004,
when I hope to be the first Mexican runner to win an
Olympic medal. If I succeed than I’m going to feel
very proud and fulfilled."
MACROZONARIS
SURPRISES MONTGOMERY
Canadian
Nicolas Macrozonaris didn’t just surprise Tim
Montgomery by beating him in the Mexico Gran Prix
100 meters race: he also surprised himself.
"I
didn’t expect this win, it’s a big surprise for
me and I also bettered my time; it was 10.19 seconds
and now it’s 10.03," Macrozonaris told press.
"It’s
incredible, it’s my first big international
victory. I went out to do my best but I never
thought I’d beat Montgomery because he’s the
best sprinter around at the moment. I couldn’t
believe it when I passed the finishing line and saw
that I was the first."
Macrozonaris
indicated that he hopes to continue improving this
season, in both the Paris world competitions and in
August’s Pan-American Games. "I want to take
the lead and win a medal."
The
sprinter explained that his mother is Canadian and
his father Greek, which is why 2004 has special
meaning for him.
"The
Olympic Games are taking place in Athens, Greece and
I’m not only hoping to take part but I’d also
like to do well in front of the Greek spectators.
"And
perhaps I’ll give everyone another surprise,"
he said smiling.
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