Víctor Castillo
Encyclopedia
Víctor Manuel Castillo Petit (born 8 June 1981 in San Joaquín, Carabobo
) is a Venezuela
n track and field
athlete who specialises in the long jump
. His personal best jump is 8.34 metres, a Venezuelan record
achieved in May 2004 in Cochabamba
. He received a lifetime ban from athletics after testing positive for banned substances in 2011, having already served a two-year doping suspension from 2006.
He won the South American junior title in 2000 and rose to become the South American Champion
in 2003 on home soil. At the 2003 Pan American Games
, he took the bronze medal. Castillo appeared at the World Championships in Athletics that year and later represented his country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
.
After being banned from 2006 to 2008, he returned to win the long jump title at the Bolivarian Games
. He was the bronze medallist at the 2011 Military World Games
then won the gold medal
at the 2011 Pan American Games
. However, he failed a drugs test for a second time at the latter event and was stripped of his title.
, where he came sixth in the long jump and was part of Venezuela's silver medal-winning 4×100 metres relay team. He returned to win the long jump gold medal
at the 2000 event
, beating Brazil's Thiago Dias. At the more competitive 2000 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics
he came third with a wind-assisted mark of 7.77 m, finishing behind Leevan Sands
of the Bahamas. The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
was held in Chile that year and Castillo made his first world-level appearance and placed fourth, just outside the medal positions.
Castillo gained eligibility to compete for the Northern Arizona University
Lumberjacks: he broke the school record for the long jump and was fourth at the Drake Relays
in 2003. He achieved his first success at senior level for Venezuela that year. He won the long jump title at the 2003 South American Championships in Athletics
held in Barquisimeto
, was fourth at the CAC Championships
, and jumped his best of the year at the Pan American Games
, taking the bronze medal
with a mark of 7.98 m. His senior global debut followed at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
and he finished 11th in his qualifying round.
Castillo cleared eight metres twice in May 2004, first with a jump of 8.03 m in Mexico City and then a personal best and Venezuelan national record
of 8.34 m in Cochabamba
. He travelled to Europe and competed at top level meets, including Athletissima
, before going on to finish as runner-up at the 2004 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics
behind Spain's Joan Lino Martínez
. He made his first appearance at the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games
, where he finished eighth in his qualifier with a jump of 7.98 m but did not make the final. He represented the NAU Lumberjacks in the 2005 indoor season and broke two national indoor records, running 6.76 seconds for the 60 metres
and clearing 8.00 m for the long jump.
In 2006 Castillo was found guilty of using furosemide
, a banned diuretic
and so-called masking agent. The sample containing the banned substance was delivered on 27 March 2006 in an out-of-competition test. He received an IAAF suspension from June 2006 to June 2008.
Following the expiration of his ban, he returned to competition in the 2009 season. He won the gold medal at the 2009 Bolivarian Games
in November, jumping a season's best of 8.25 m, and also helped Venezuela's 4×100 metres relay team to a silver medal. He made few appearances in 2010, but returned to full competition the year after. He ran a 200 metres
personal best of 21.22 seconds in May at the national championships, placing third in the sprint after winning the long jump title. A jump of 7.72 m brought him fourth place at the 2011 South American Championships in Athletics
and a month later he represented Venezuela at the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro
, where he took the bronze medal with a clearance of 7.81 m. With the wind right on the permissible limit, he had a jump of 8.03 m at the 2011 ALBA Games
– a mark which earned him the gold medal. His season came to a peak at the 2011 Pan American Games
in Guadalajara
as he jumped 8.05 m (his third best ever) to secure the gold medal, becoming the second Venezuelan man to win an athletics gold at the competition (following Rafael Romero
's 200 m win in 1963).
This achievement did not stand however, as his drug test at the event came back positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant. His mark was erased and his medal had to be returned. Given his previous ban, a second doping infraction left Castillo to face a lifetime ban from the sport. The Venezuelan Olympic Committee president Eduardo Alvarez remarked on the situation: "We aren't sorry about the loss of the medal. We're sorry about the loss of talent of an athlete like Victor Castillo".
San Joaquín, Carabobo
San Joaquín is a city and municipality located in Carabobo State, Venezuela. It borders Aragua State to the north, the Lake Valencia to the south, the Diego Ibarra Municipality to the east, and the Guacara Municipality to the west....
) is a Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specialises in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
. His personal best jump is 8.34 metres, a Venezuelan record
Venezuelan records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Venezuela maintained by its national athletics federation: Federación Venezolana de Atletismo .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitude# = not officially ratified by Federation...
achieved in May 2004 in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
. He received a lifetime ban from athletics after testing positive for banned substances in 2011, having already served a two-year doping suspension from 2006.
He won the South American junior title in 2000 and rose to become the South American Champion
South American Championships in Athletics
The South American Championships in Athletics is a biennial athletics event organized by CONSUDATLE. The first edition in 1919 was competed between only two countries , but it has since expanded and has generally been held every two years since 1927.In addition, 8 unofficial championships were held...
in 2003 on home soil. At the 2003 Pan American Games
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
, he took the bronze medal. Castillo appeared at the World Championships in Athletics that year and later represented his country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
After being banned from 2006 to 2008, he returned to win the long jump title at the Bolivarian Games
Bolivarian Games
The Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization...
. He was the bronze medallist at the 2011 Military World Games
2011 Military World Games
The 2011 Military World Games, officially known as the 5th CISM Military World Games, was hosted from July 15-24, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....
then won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2011 Pan American Games
2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, Puerto Vallarta, Lagos de Moreno and Tapalpa...
. However, he failed a drugs test for a second time at the latter event and was stripped of his title.
Career
His first international outing came at the 1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The 30th South American Junior Championships in Athletics were held in Córdoba, Argentina from May 16-17, 1998.-Participation :Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History"website...
, where he came sixth in the long jump and was part of Venezuela's silver medal-winning 4×100 metres relay team. He returned to win the long jump gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2000 event
1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The 30th South American Junior Championships in Athletics were held in Córdoba, Argentina from May 16-17, 1998.-Participation :Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History"website...
, beating Brazil's Thiago Dias. At the more competitive 2000 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics
2000 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics
The 14th Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships was held inthe Estadio Sixto Escobar in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 14–16 July, 2000.-Participation :...
he came third with a wind-assisted mark of 7.77 m, finishing behind Leevan Sands
Leevan Sands
Leevan Sands is a Bahamian triple jumper. He was born in Nassau.His personal best jump is 17.59 metres, achieved in 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing...
of the Bahamas. The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
was held in Chile that year and Castillo made his first world-level appearance and placed fourth, just outside the medal positions.
Castillo gained eligibility to compete for the Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
Lumberjacks: he broke the school record for the long jump and was fourth at the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
in 2003. He achieved his first success at senior level for Venezuela that year. He won the long jump title at the 2003 South American Championships in Athletics
2003 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2003 South American Championships in Athletics were held from June 20 to June 22 at the Polideportivo Máximo Viloria in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Detailed day-by-day reports can be found on the IAAF website.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:...
held in Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, was fourth at the CAC Championships
2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2003 Central American and Caribbean Championships in athletics were held in St George's, Grenada, on 5 and 6 July 2003. It was the first time that the country had hosted the competition.-Men's events:-Women's events:† = non-championship event...
, and jumped his best of the year at the Pan American Games
Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 2003 Pan American Games was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Tuesday August 5 to Saturday August 9, 2003...
, taking the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
with a mark of 7.98 m. His senior global debut followed at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
and he finished 11th in his qualifying round.
Castillo cleared eight metres twice in May 2004, first with a jump of 8.03 m in Mexico City and then a personal best and Venezuelan national record
Venezuelan records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Venezuela maintained by its national athletics federation: Federación Venezolana de Atletismo .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitude# = not officially ratified by Federation...
of 8.34 m in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
. He travelled to Europe and competed at top level meets, including Athletissima
Athletissima
Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.The first edition was held on 8 July 1977....
, before going on to finish as runner-up at the 2004 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics
2004 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics
The 2004 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics took place on Estadio Iberoamericano in Huelva, Spain on 6–8 August 2004. A record high of 27 nations took part while the number of participating athletes was the second highest in the competition's history after the 1992 edition...
behind Spain's Joan Lino Martínez
Joan Lino Martínez
Joan Lino Martínez Armenteros is a Spanish athlete. He competes in the long jump.Martínez was born to a Cuban father and Spanish mother. After his switch from Cuba to Spain, he did not compete internationally until 2004, when he won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games...
. He made his first appearance at the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, where he finished eighth in his qualifier with a jump of 7.98 m but did not make the final. He represented the NAU Lumberjacks in the 2005 indoor season and broke two national indoor records, running 6.76 seconds for the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
and clearing 8.00 m for the long jump.
In 2006 Castillo was found guilty of using furosemide
Furosemide
Furosemide or frusemide is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and edema. It is most commonly marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the brand name Lasix...
, a banned diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
and so-called masking agent. The sample containing the banned substance was delivered on 27 March 2006 in an out-of-competition test. He received an IAAF suspension from June 2006 to June 2008.
Following the expiration of his ban, he returned to competition in the 2009 season. He won the gold medal at the 2009 Bolivarian Games
2009 Bolivarian Games
The XVI Bolivarian Games were a multi-sport event held in 2009 in Sucre, Bolivia. The competitions in Sucre took place from 15–26 November. A number of Bolivian cities hosted some of the sporting events, including Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Tarija. Also, events were held outside of Bolivia, with...
in November, jumping a season's best of 8.25 m, and also helped Venezuela's 4×100 metres relay team to a silver medal. He made few appearances in 2010, but returned to full competition the year after. He ran a 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
personal best of 21.22 seconds in May at the national championships, placing third in the sprint after winning the long jump title. A jump of 7.72 m brought him fourth place at the 2011 South American Championships in Athletics
2011 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2011 South American Championships in Athletics were the 47th edition of the South American Championships, organised under the supervision of the CONSUDATLE. They were held at the National Center of High Performance Athletics in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 2 to 5 June 2011...
and a month later he represented Venezuela at the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where he took the bronze medal with a clearance of 7.81 m. With the wind right on the permissible limit, he had a jump of 8.03 m at the 2011 ALBA Games
2011 ALBA Games
The IV ALBA Games is a multi-sport event to be held between 17–30 July 2010 in ten different states of Venezuela. The games are organized by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas .-Participating nations:...
– a mark which earned him the gold medal. His season came to a peak at the 2011 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 2011 Pan American Games
Athletics competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara was held from October 23 to October 30 at the newly built Telmex Athletics Stadium. The racewalking and marathon events were held on the temporary Guadalajara Circuit and Route and the Pan American Marathon circuit respectively...
in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
as he jumped 8.05 m (his third best ever) to secure the gold medal, becoming the second Venezuelan man to win an athletics gold at the competition (following Rafael Romero
Rafael Romero
Rafael Romero Sandrea is a retired track and field athlete from Venezuela, who competed in the sprint events. He represented his native country in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1956. Romero claimed two medals at the 1963 Pan American Games in Brazil.-References:*...
's 200 m win in 1963).
This achievement did not stand however, as his drug test at the event came back positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant. His mark was erased and his medal had to be returned. Given his previous ban, a second doping infraction left Castillo to face a lifetime ban from the sport. The Venezuelan Olympic Committee president Eduardo Alvarez remarked on the situation: "We aren't sorry about the loss of the medal. We're sorry about the loss of talent of an athlete like Victor Castillo".
Achievements
| 2000 | World Junior Championships 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:... |
Santiago, Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
4th | Long jump |
| 2003 | Pan American Games Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games The athletics competition at the 2003 Pan American Games was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Tuesday August 5 to Saturday August 9, 2003... |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 3rd | Long jump |
| 2004 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
8th (qualifiers) | Long jump |
| 2011 | South American Championships 2011 South American Championships in Athletics The 2011 South American Championships in Athletics were the 47th edition of the South American Championships, organised under the supervision of the CONSUDATLE. They were held at the National Center of High Performance Athletics in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 2 to 5 June 2011... |
Buenos Aires, Argentina | 4th | Long jump 2011 South American Championships in Athletics – Results These are the official results of the 2011 South American Championships in Athletics which took place on June 2–5, 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-100 meters:Heats – June 2Final – June 2-200 meters:Heats – June 4... |
| Pan American Games Athletics at the 2011 Pan American Games Athletics competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara was held from October 23 to October 30 at the newly built Telmex Athletics Stadium. The racewalking and marathon events were held on the temporary Guadalajara Circuit and Route and the Pan American Marathon circuit respectively... |
Guadalajara, Mexico | 1st (DQ) | Long jump |