Yipsi Moreno
Encyclopedia
Yipsi Moreno González (born November 19, 1980 in Camagüey
) is a Cuba
n hammer throw
er. She is a double world champion
and Olympic silver medalist, a former world junior record holder and current area record holder. She is currently ranked first in the world.
and discus throw
. Hammer throw was not a regular women's event at the time, but following its introduction in Cuba in 1993, she eventually concentrated on this event. Gradual improvement earned her a place on the national junior team in 1996.
, this time 29 centimetres behind Griffin. After the World Junior Championships, Moreno started working with a new coach Eladio Hernández, himself a former hammer thrower. The cooperation paid off almost immediately as Moreno established a new world junior record on 29 May 1999 with 66.34 metres at altitude in Mexico City.
Later that year, she won the silver medal at the Pan American Games
with 63.03 metres, only beaten by Dawn Ellerbe
who threw 65.36. At the World Championships
the same year her only valid throw measured 58.68 metres, giving her an eighteenth place in the final (there was no qualification round). At her next major competition, the 2000 Olympics, she improved to fourth place.
in Edmonton. Three weeks later she won the silver medal at the 2001 Summer Universiade
behind Manuela Montebrun
of France, who had finished fifth in Edmonton. In 2002 she improved to 71.47 metres in Madrid in July. She was selected to represent the Americas
at the 2002 World Cup
held in the same city two months later, and finished second.
she won the gold ahead of compatriot Yunaika Crawford
, smashing Dawn Ellerbe's championship record with a 74.25 metres throw. At the World Championships
in August she defended her title with a second round effort of 73.33 metres. Her third round result of 72.52 m further secured the gold as runner-up Olga Kuzenkova
managed no more than 71.71 m. Commenting on her victory, Moreno stated that she "was happy for Cuba and my family". The inaugural World Athletics Final
in Szombathely, where she obtained another triumph, concluded the season. At the end of the year she was named Cuban Sportswoman of the Year for 2003.
2004 was an Olympic year and Moreno was considered the pre-event favourite for the hammer throw contest
. Not only was she in lead of the world ranking, her new personal best and South American record of 75.18 metres from the National Cuban Olympics in Havana in April was the world leading result. In the Olympic final, however, her chance of winiing soon dwindled as Olga Kuzenkova took the lead and Moreno fouled her first throw. Moreno went on to foul on three of her five remaining efforts, managing 73.36 metres in the fourth round, while Kuzenkova had improved to 75.02 metres in the third round. Yunaika Crawford took the bronze medal behind Moreno.
The 2004 Olympic Games was the first and only major competition for Moreno in 2004. She did not compete at the World Athletics Final
and experienced a foot injury which sidelined her for the first half of 2005. This meant she was dethroned from the leading position at the world ranking, but she recovered the position after a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships
and a victory at the 2005 World Athletics Final. For the first time in her career, however, she went a whole season without improving her personal best.
title, setting another championship record with 70.22 metres. In August she again lost her top ranking position, this time to Russia's Tatyana Lysenko
who had established a new world record of 77.80 m. Moreno's season best mark was 74.69 m from the Ostrava Super Grand Prix in May. She finished third at the 2006 World Athletics Final
and the 2006 World Cup
, both times behind Kamila Skolimowska
of Poland.
On 3 March 2007, she broke her own area record as she threw 75.64 metres in Kingston, Jamaica
. Establishing the new record in the fifth round of the competition, she followed this up with a 75.43 metres throw in the final round, again longer than her previous personal best. "I have had a good start this year, without physical problems", Moreno explained. On 17 June she improved the record again, with a 76.36 m throw from the second round in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, Warsaw
.
, Moreno again won a silver medal, this time behind Aksana Miankova
of Belarus
, who threw an Olympic Record distance of 76.34 meters in her second-to-last round. Moreno was in the silver medal position with one throw left, and in her final effort, she fell short of Miankova with a throw of 75.20 meters, although it was her best throw of the final.
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
) is a Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
er. She is a double world champion
World Champions in athletics (women)
- 100 m :- 200 m :- 400 metres :- 800 m :- 1500 m :- 3000 m :- 5000 m :- 10000 m :- 100 m hurdles :- 400 m hurdles :- 3000 m steeplechase :- 4 x 100 metres relay :- 4 x 400 metres relay :- Marathon :- Race walking :...
and Olympic silver medalist, a former world junior record holder and current area record holder. She is currently ranked first in the world.
Early life and education
At the age of 11, she was recruited by the Cerro Pelado Sports School in her hometown, where she started practicing shot putShot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
. Hammer throw was not a regular women's event at the time, but following its introduction in Cuba in 1993, she eventually concentrated on this event. Gradual improvement earned her a place on the national junior team in 1996.
1997-2000
In 1997, Moreno won the Pan American Junior Championships in Havana with a throw of 55.74 metres, improving the two-year-old championship record with ten metres. She beat the second place finisher Maureen Griffin by a 46 centimetre margin. This year she threw past the 60 metre mark for the first time, with 61.96 m. The next year, she finished fourth at the 1998 World Junior Championships1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1998 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Annecy, France from July 28 to August 2, 1998.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, this time 29 centimetres behind Griffin. After the World Junior Championships, Moreno started working with a new coach Eladio Hernández, himself a former hammer thrower. The cooperation paid off almost immediately as Moreno established a new world junior record on 29 May 1999 with 66.34 metres at altitude in Mexico City.
Later that year, she won the silver medal at the Pan American Games
Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 1999 Pan American Games was held in Winnipeg, Canada. Two new events were introduced for women: pole vault and hammer throw. In addition the 20 km road walk replaced the 10,000 m track walk.-Track:-Field:-Track:...
with 63.03 metres, only beaten by Dawn Ellerbe
Dawn Ellerbe
Dawn Ellerbe was a female track and field athlete, and is currently the assistant athletic director at California State University, East Bay...
who threw 65.36. At the World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
the same year her only valid throw measured 58.68 metres, giving her an eighteenth place in the final (there was no qualification round). At her next major competition, the 2000 Olympics, she improved to fourth place.
2001-2002
In 2001, she broke the 70 metre barrier for the first time, and improved her personal best to 70.65 metres as she won the World Championships2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
in Edmonton. Three weeks later she won the silver medal at the 2001 Summer Universiade
2001 Summer Universiade
The 2001 Summer Universiade, also known as the XXI Summer Universiade, was an international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, People's Republic of China, between the 22 August and 1 September. A total of 6757 athletes from 165 nations took part in 12 sports...
behind Manuela Montebrun
Manuela Montebrun
Manuela Montebrun is a female hammer thrower from France. Her personal best throw is 74.66 metres, achieved in July 2005 in Zagreb.-Achievements:-References:*...
of France, who had finished fifth in Edmonton. In 2002 she improved to 71.47 metres in Madrid in July. She was selected to represent the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
at the 2002 World Cup
2002 IAAF World Cup
The 9th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was hosted by Madrid, September 21–22, 2002, in the Estadio La Peineta...
held in the same city two months later, and finished second.
2003–2005
In July 2003, she improved further to 75.14 metres. At the Pan American GamesAthletics 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...
she won the gold ahead of compatriot Yunaika Crawford
Yunaika Crawford
Yunaika Crawford Rogert is a Cuban hammer thrower who won the Olympic bronze medal in 2004 with a personal best throw of 73.16 metres.-Early career:...
, smashing Dawn Ellerbe's championship record with a 74.25 metres throw. At the World Championships
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:...
in August she defended her title with a second round effort of 73.33 metres. Her third round result of 72.52 m further secured the gold as runner-up Olga Kuzenkova
Olga Kuzenkova
Olga Sergeyevna Kuzenkova is a Russian athlete, the first woman to throw the hammer more than 70 meters.She won gold in the women's hammer throw event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.She trained with Aleksandr Seleznyov.-Notes:...
managed no more than 71.71 m. Commenting on her victory, Moreno stated that she "was happy for Cuba and my family". The inaugural World Athletics Final
2003 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the...
in Szombathely, where she obtained another triumph, concluded the season. At the end of the year she was named Cuban Sportswoman of the Year for 2003.
2004 was an Olympic year and Moreno was considered the pre-event favourite for the hammer throw contest
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's Hammer Throw
The Women's Hammer Throw event at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium August 23 and August 25...
. Not only was she in lead of the world ranking, her new personal best and South American record of 75.18 metres from the National Cuban Olympics in Havana in April was the world leading result. In the Olympic final, however, her chance of winiing soon dwindled as Olga Kuzenkova took the lead and Moreno fouled her first throw. Moreno went on to foul on three of her five remaining efforts, managing 73.36 metres in the fourth round, while Kuzenkova had improved to 75.02 metres in the third round. Yunaika Crawford took the bronze medal behind Moreno.
The 2004 Olympic Games was the first and only major competition for Moreno in 2004. She did not compete at the World Athletics Final
2004 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 2nd IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 18, and September 19, 2004.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of...
and experienced a foot injury which sidelined her for the first half of 2005. This meant she was dethroned from the leading position at the world ranking, but she recovered the position after a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
and a victory at the 2005 World Athletics Final. For the first time in her career, however, she went a whole season without improving her personal best.
2006-2007
In early 2006, Moreno won her first Central American and Caribbean GamesAthletics at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
The athletics competition at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games took place at the Estadio Pedro de Heredia in Cartagena, Colombia and lasted from July 25 to July 29. There were 23 events for men and 21 for women...
title, setting another championship record with 70.22 metres. In August she again lost her top ranking position, this time to Russia's Tatyana Lysenko
Tatyana Lysenko
Tatyana Viktorovna Lysenko is a Russian hammer thrower. She used to hold the world record with 77.80 metres, achieved on 15 August 2006 in Tallinn....
who had established a new world record of 77.80 m. Moreno's season best mark was 74.69 m from the Ostrava Super Grand Prix in May. She finished third at the 2006 World Athletics Final
2006 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 4th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 9 and September 10, 2006.-Results:-External links:*...
and the 2006 World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
, both times behind Kamila Skolimowska
Kamila Skolimowska
Kamila Skolimowska was a Polish hammer thrower. She was known for her gold medal in the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, which made her the youngest Olympic hammer champion, as well as for her two medals from the European Championships. Her personal best throw, and Polish record, was 76.83 metres,...
of Poland.
On 3 March 2007, she broke her own area record as she threw 75.64 metres in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. Establishing the new record in the fifth round of the competition, she followed this up with a 75.43 metres throw in the final round, again longer than her previous personal best. "I have had a good start this year, without physical problems", Moreno explained. On 17 June she improved the record again, with a 76.36 m throw from the second round in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
2008
At the 2008 Olympics Women's Hammer Throw finalAthletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's hammer throw
The Women's Hammer Throw event at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 18–20 August at the Beijing National Stadium.The qualifying standards were 69.50 m and 67.00 m .-Medalists:-Schedule:...
, Moreno again won a silver medal, this time behind Aksana Miankova
Aksana Miankova
Aksana Miankova, also transliterated as Oksana Menkova, is a Belarusian hammer thrower. She won the Olympic gold medal in 2008 with a throw of 76.34 metres, an Olympic record....
of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, who threw an Olympic Record distance of 76.34 meters in her second-to-last round. Moreno was in the silver medal position with one throw left, and in her final effort, she fell short of Miankova with a throw of 75.20 meters, although it was her best throw of the final.