Juantorena Opens URI Seminar Ex-Olympian Describes Renaissance of Cuban Sports

Providence Journal
Bob Leddy
June 17, 1988

SOUTH KINGSTOWN --- A dozen years ago Cuba's Alberto Juantorena ran for gold at the Olympic Games in Montreal, achieving what no other Olympic runner had done - winning both the 400- and 800-meter races.

His 1:43.50 clocking in the 800 broke the world record. Four days later the lanky Cuban ran the 400 in 44.26 and won another gold medal. (His 800 mark later was broken by British miler Sebastian Coe).

Since that July day the 38-year-old native of Santiago has continued running at international meets, despite occasional foot injuries. But Juantorena's immediate concerns now are not so much winning medals as promoting Cuban nationalism by maintaining a healthy athletic climate in his country.

Delivers keynote address

To that end Juantorena, vice president of Cuba's National Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, has been in Rhode Island this week.

Last night at the University of Rhode Island he delivered the keynote address at the opening of the Peace and Understanding Through Sport Series. The three-day event is part of the university's Institute for International Sport seminar.

Juantorena, who also ran in the Olympic Games in Munich and Moscow, is a member of the Jury of Appeals of the International Amateur Athletic Association (IAAF). In that capacity he will attend the Olympics at Seoul. But, he said, none of his fellow Cubans will compete in South Korea.

At a press conference before his talk, Juantorena explained that the Cuban Olympic Committee, of which he is vice president, voted unanimously not to send a team of athletes to Seoul.

Support for North Korea

"It is because of solidarity with North Korea," he explained. "This is not a boycott. We're not making propaganda. It was our own decision. The door is still open. If the problem is solved between the two Koreas, even on the day before opening ceremonies, we'll be in."

Angel E. Pino, first secretary of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington who accompanied Juantorena yesterday, said, "We consider a celebration of the Games of no help in unifying two countries that are artifically divided. It can only exacerbate the feeling on both sides."

Pino said his country also stayed away from the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 "because of solidarity with the Soviet Union," which boycotted the Games that year.

Juantorena, who said he had run six miles around the URI campus during his stay at the Quality Inn in South Kingstown, was more eager to discuss the work of his institute in Cuba.

Importance of athletics

"The purpose of this group is to promote the health and education in (Cuban) schools," he said. "Sports are very important in Cuba."

Juantorena expanded on that theme in his talk last night. Athletics, he told his audience, increases "the culture and progress level of every citizen and is a way of contributing to the quality of life."

Juantorena traced the renaissance of athletics in Cuba from pre-Castro days to the present.

"In 1959 the country had only 800 physical educators and coaches," he said. "Now there are more than 27,000. There were no physical education schools. Today we have a Higher Institute of Physical Culture with 11 filials in the provinces."

Thirty years ago, Junatorena added, boxing and baseball were the only Cuban sports. "Participation has been extended to 34 sports," he said.

Cuba has programs for physically and mentally impaired children.

Other schedule speakers

"We have a special education system grouping all the school children," he explained. "Festivals and activities are organized in the municipalities and provinces."

Whether Cuban athletes will compete in the Olympics this summer is a question mark at this point, Juantorena said.

"It is very hard," he explained. "I wish this problem could be solved."

Other scheduled speakers at the conference, which ends tomorrow, are Sen. Claiborne Pell, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and Anita DeFrantz, a member of the International Olympic Committee.