Friday, January 25, 2013
Former Olympic champion Robles to retire - coach
By Nelson Acosta
HAVANA (Reuters) - Dayron Robles, the 2008 Olympic Games 110 metres hurdles champion and former world record holder, will retire from athletics owing to a lack of attention from Cuban sports officials, his coach said on Thursday.
Cuba's Dayron Robles clears a hurdle on his way to take first place in his men's 110m hurdles semi-final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 8, 2012. REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonRobles, 26, pulled up injured in the 2012 Olympic final and has struggled to recapture his form of a few years ago when he won the Olympic title in Beijing after setting a world record of 12.87 seconds in June 2008.
"For me it's a huge loss for Cuban sport and a huge mistake by Cuban sport to have not given his needs enough attention," Santiago Antunez told Reuters.
Robles could not be reached for comment.
He has been frustrated with injury struggles since his stellar year in 2008 and after he lost his Olympic crown in London he made numerous complaints to Cuban sports officials, none of which have been listened to, said his coach.
"The treatment of Robles has been extremely poor," said Antunez, who had been the athlete's coach until a few days ago when Robles announced his retirement from the national team.
"The lack of attention to have let an athlete of this level go and retire is a huge mistake by Cuban sport," Antunez added.
National commissioner Jose Luis Sanchez had previously been quoted in local paper Juventud Rebelde as saying that Robles was on the way out.
"Robles asked to be officially released from the national athletics team which was granted. The boy does not want to continue competing. They tried to convince him but he gave up," said Sanchez.
"The motives for his decision have not been explained at all," he added.
(Writing by Tom Pilcher in London, Editing by Gene Cherry)
- Mixed reaction to Chong Wei’s remarks on Lin Dan’s wild card
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Badminton: Coaches voice out frustration over new lighting system at Putra Stadium at Bukit Jalil
- Cai Lin breaks 200m freestyle record
- Djokovic crashes in Rome, ailing Sharapova pulls out, Federer wins
- Learn Spanish Hafizh as part of plan to conquer MotoGP
- China play it cool; Past records mean nothing, says chief coach Yongbo
- Table tennis: Leading Chinese quartet power into last 16 of world meet
- Shankar hopes Sri Lanka will shine at Sudirman Cup
- NBA: Kings sold to group led by India's Ranadive for more than US$535mil
- Cycling: Leader Van Garderen wins California time trial
- Golf: Keegan Bradley maintains Byron Nelson lead
- Golf: Korda seizes lead at Mobile Bay LPGA
- Bradley stays in charge, Guan exits
- Hall of Famer Venturi dies aged 82
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Rugby: It's all I have to play for, says Wilkinson
- Doping battle at breaking point
- Cricket: Haq nets record and a duck in Scotland warm-up
- Cricket: Anderson bowls England back into first Test
RSS
