Cuba for medals at the World Youth Athletics Championships in Kenya

HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 19 (ACN) Javelin thrower Yiselena Ballar, shot-putter Juan Carley Vázquez and sprinter Shainer Rengifo will give Cuba a shot at medals today at the 18th World Youth Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.

Vázquez will be in the finals of his event after qualifying Wednesday with 19.66 m to finish first among the 12 athletes who will seek a medal, albeit he is the only one who has ever reached the 20 meter-mark (19.78 m this season).

His main contenders will be the Turkish Savas Parlak (19.96 m) and the Kosovar Muhamet Ramadani (19.92 m).

Javelin thrower Ballar, who boasts the third best throw of the year (60.84 m) will also fight for a medal against the two best scorers of the season, namely the Greek Elina Tzengko (61.42 m) and the Serbian Adriana Vilagos (60.94 m).

Rengifo, in turn, will be in the final 100 meters dash after making 10.29 seconds (his personal best yet) in the third heat of the semifinals, won by the Nigerian Godson Oke Oghnebrume (10.22).

Likewise, Daily Cooper will be in heat 2 of the 800 m qualifiers and try to finish among the first three runners to reach the semifinal round. Her best time this season is 2:06.32 m, but she has a personal best of 2:02.90 m.