Alberto Juantorena facts for kids

Juantorena winning the 800 m final at the 1976 Olympics
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Full name	Alberto Juantorena Danger
Nickname(s)	El Caballo El elegante de las pistas
Born	(1950-12-03) 3 December 1950 (age 74) Santiago de Cuba
Height	190 cm
Weight	84 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	400 m, 800 m
Coached by	Zygmunt Zabierzowski
Retired	1984
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400 m – 44.26 (1976) 800 m – 1:43.44 (1977)
Medal record Representing  Cuba Olympic Games Gold 1976 Montreal 400 m Gold 1976 Montreal 800 m Pan American Games Silver 1975 Mexico City 400 m Silver 1975 Mexico City 4 × 400 m Silver 1979 San Juan 400 m Silver 1979 San Juan 800 m Bronze 1979 San Juan 4 × 400 m Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 1974 Santo Domingo 400 m Gold 1978 Medellín 400 m Gold 1978 Medellín 800 m Gold 1982 Havana 800 m Central American and Caribbean Championships Gold 1973 Maracaibo 400 m Gold 1981 Santo Domingo 800 m Silver 1977 Ponce 400 m Summer Universiade Gold 1973 Moscow 400 m Gold 1977 Sofia 800 m Friendship Games Gold 1984 Moscow 800 m Representing Americas IAAF World Cup Gold 1977 Düsseldorf 400 m Gold 1977 Düsseldorf 800 m Bronze 1977 Düsseldorf 4 × 400 m
Updated on 6 June 2015.

Alberto Juantorena (born December 3, 1950) is a famous former runner from Cuba. He is the only athlete in history to win both the 400-meter and 800-meter races at the same Olympic Games. He achieved this amazing feat in 1976. Many people considered him the best runner in the world for the 400 meters from 1974 to 1978. He was also the top 800-meter runner in 1976 and 1977. Because of his incredible success, he was named the Track & Field News Athlete of the Year in both 1976 and 1977.

Alberto Juantorena's Early Life and Sports

From Basketball to Running

When Alberto Juantorena was 14 years old, he was already very tall, about 6 feet 2 inches. People first thought he would be a great basketball player. He even went to a special state basketball school and played for the national team.

But Alberto also had a hidden talent for running. He was a champion in the 800-meter and 1500-meter races at his high school. A Polish running coach named Zygmunt Zabierzowski noticed his talent. The coach convinced Alberto to focus on running. Alberto was happy to switch because he felt he wasn't a very good basketball player. His hero was another Cuban sprinter, Enrique Figuerola.

Just one year later, Alberto showed how good he was. He reached the semifinals of the 400-meter race at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He just barely missed getting into the final race.

Winning Medals Before the Olympics

Alberto continued to improve his running skills. In 1973, he won a gold medal in the 400 meters at the World University Games. He also earned a silver medal in the 400 meters at the 1975 Pan American Games. He was unbeatable in 1973 and 1974.

However, he had two foot surgeries in 1975, which made things difficult. He only started seriously training for the 800-meter race in 1976. Because of this, not many people expected him to win an Olympic gold medal that year. His coach, Zabierzowski, even tricked him into trying an 800-meter race. The coach told him the other runners needed someone to help set the pace.

Olympic Glory in 1976

Making History in Montreal

Alberto Juantorena made it to the 800-meter Olympic final in 1976. He led the race for most of the way. He ended up winning the gold medal and setting a new world record time of 1 minute, 43.50 seconds. He was the first athlete who didn't speak English to win an Olympic gold in this event.

Just three days later, he won another gold medal in the 400-meter final. He set a new world record for low-altitude races with a time of 44.26 seconds. By winning both the 400 meters and 800 meters, he became the first athlete since Paul Pilgrim in 1906 to win both races at the same Olympic event. He is still the only man to do this at an officially recognized Olympics.

After the 1976 Olympics

More Records and Challenges

In 1977, Alberto set another world record in the 800 meters. He ran it in 1 minute, 43.44 seconds in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the World University Games. He also won both the 400-meter and 800-meter races at the 1977 IAAF World Cup.

The 400-meter race at the World Cup was a bit controversial. Alberto protested that he couldn't hear the starting gun in the first race. So, the race was run again the next day. This second race was an exciting battle between Alberto and his rival, Mike Boit from Kenya. This was a duel that couldn't happen at the previous year's Olympics because many African countries boycotted the games.

Dealing with Injuries

Alberto became known in Cuba as El Caballo, which means the horse, because of his powerful running style. He continued his career, but injuries made it hard for him to reach the same level he had in Montreal. Alberto was born with flat feet, which caused problems with his feet and back. He had surgery in 1977 to fix this.

In 1978, he was still unbeatable in the 400 meters. However, he had his first loss ever in the 800 meters. Injuries, especially to his hamstring, made it difficult for him to train and race before the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. At those Olympics, he just missed out on a medal in the 400 meters, finishing fourth.

At the 1983 World Championships, which was his last big international competition, he broke his foot and tore ligaments. This happened when he stepped on the inside of the track after qualifying in the first round of the 800 meters. He tried to train again to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics. However, the 1984 Summer Olympics boycott meant that Cuba did not participate. This ended his last chance to compete at the Olympics. Instead, he took part in the Friendship Games, which were an alternative event for countries that boycotted the Olympics. There, he shared the gold medal in the 800 meters.

Alberto Juantorena at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics

Life After Running

After he stopped competing in athletics in 1984, Alberto Juantorena took on many important roles. He served as the Vice President of the National Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation for Cuba. He was also the Vice Minister for Sport of Cuba. He became the vice-president, and later Senior Vice-president, of the Cuban Olympic Committee.

He is a member of the World Athletics Council, which helps govern the sport globally. He has also led the Athletes' Commission and been part of the Grand Prix Commission.

Personal Life

Alberto Juantorena first married in 1972 to Yria, who was a gymnast. They had two children together. He married two more times before meeting his current wife, Yolanda, who worked for a Cuban airline. In total, he has seven children. His nephew, Osmany Juantorena, is a professional volleyball player.

In 2021, a documentary film about Alberto Juantorena was released. It was called Running for the Revolution and was made by British filmmaker Mark Craig.

International Achievements

Alberto Juantorena won many medals for Cuba in different international competitions.

• 1972 Olympic Games: Reached semifinals in 400 m.
• 1973 Central American and Caribbean Championships: Gold in 400 m, Silver in 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1973 Universiade: Gold in 400 m.
• 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games: Gold in 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1975 Pan American Games: Silver in 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1976 Olympic Games: Gold in 400 m and 800 m (World Record in 800 m).
• 1977 Central American and Caribbean Championships: Silver in 400 m, Gold in 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1977 Universiade: Gold in 800 m (World Record).
• 1977 IAAF World Cup: Gold in 400 m and 800 m, Bronze in 4 × 400 m relay (representing the Americas).
• 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games: Gold in 400 m and 800 m, Bronze in 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1979 Pan American Games: Silver in 400 m and 800 m, Bronze in 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1980 Olympic Games: Fourth place in 400 m.
• 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships: Gold in 800 m.
• 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games: Gold in 800 m and 4 × 400 m relay.
• 1983 World Championships: Did not finish 800 m due to injury.
• 1984 Friendship Games: Gold in 800 m, Bronze in 4 × 400 m relay.

See also

In Spanish: Alberto Juantorena para niños