Dayron Robles (born 19 November 1986) is a Cuban track and field athlete who specialises in the 110 metre hurdles.

Dayron Robles
Personal information
Nationality Cuba
Born (1986-11-19) 19 November 1986 (age 37)[1]
Guantánamo, Cuba[1]
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1][2]
Weight89 kg (196 lb)[2]
Sport
SportRunning
Event110 metres hurdles
Achievements and titles
Personal best110m hurdles: 12.87 s (Ostrava 2008)
Medal record
Men’s athletics
Representing  Cuba
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 110 m hurdles
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Doha 60 m hurdles
Silver medal – second place 2006 Moscow 60 m hurdles
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Rio de Janeiro 110 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara 110 m hurdles
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2004 Grosseto 110 m hurdles
Pan American Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Windsor 110 m hurdles

He won his first major medal (a silver) in the 60 metres hurdles at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. He finished the 2006 season having improved his outdoor best to 13 seconds and become the Central American and Caribbean Games champion. Pan American gold came the following year in which also set a meet record of 12.92 seconds at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final – making him the joint fourth fastest ever.

He reached the pinnacle of his event in 2008 by setting a world record of 12.87 seconds in June at the Golden Spike Ostrava meet,[3][4] and winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 12.93 seconds. Injury ruled him out for much of 2009, but he returned strongly with a championship record win at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was disqualified at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles, for supposed violation of rule 163.2, obstruction.

Career edit

He won his first international medal at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics, taking the silver medal in the 110 m hurdles which was Cuba's only medal of the competition.[5] At the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow he finished second with a new personal best time (indoor) of 7.46 seconds.[6][7] He improved upon this time with a run of 7.33 s at the 2008 PSD Bank Meeting – this was a Panamerican record and made him the second-fastest ever indoors, behind Colin Jackson.[8]

At the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia he didn't advance from the heats due to fact that he stopped running, thinking that fellow hurdler Liu Xiang had made a false start. This was great disappointment for Robles, who had posted nine of the 11 fastest times of the winter season and was a favorite for winning the gold medal.[9]

At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, many anticipated a Robles and Liu showdown in the final, but Liu was forced to pull out injured in the opening heat due to tendinitis.[10] Robles went on to comfortably win the gold medal, posting a time of 12.93 s in the final.[11]

During the 2009 IAAF World Championships, Dayron Robles was forced out of the competition, not finishing his semi-final because of muscular injury. After recovering from his injury, he entered the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The 60 metres final was the first time in over two years that Robles had faced Liu and Terrence Trammell in the same race. Robles began the race slowly but his power and technique saw him overhaul Trammell in the second half of the race to finish in 7.34 seconds, the third quickest time ever over the distance. The win marked a return to form and he said his first indoor gold ahead of the American was as important to him as his Olympic victory two years earlier.[12]

After a season's best run of 13.12 seconds in the rain to win at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting, he secured his first 2010 IAAF Diamond League victory at the Golden Gala with a time of 13.14 seconds,[13] followed by a win at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo later that month.[14] His best run of the season (13.01) at the Athletissima meet made him the second fastest man that year behind David Oliver, but an injury curtailed yet another season. He returned to action in May 2011 and won at the Grand Prix Région Guadeloupe meet.[15]

Robles finished first in the 110m hurdles at the 2011 World Athletics Championships, with a time of 13.14 seconds. However, the result was invalidated, as replays showed Robles reaching out to impede the progress of competitor Liu Xiang, using his hand to knock Xiang's hand.[16][17]

Achievements edit

Personal bests edit

Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
50 meters hurdles]] 6.39 Stockholm, Sweden 21 February 2008
60 metres hurdles 7.33 Düsseldorf, Germany 8 February 2008
110 metres hurdles 12.87 Ostrava, Czech Republic 12 June 2008
  • All information from IAAF Profile[18]

Competition record edit

 
Robles leading the 110 meters hurdles final at the Beijing Olympics
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Cuba
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Canada 6th 110 m hurdles (91.4 cm) 13.91
2004 World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 2nd 110 m hurdles 13.77 (wind: -0.6 m/s)
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships Nassau, Bahamas 2nd 110 m hurdles 13.41 w (wind: +2.6 m/s)
2006 World Indoor Championships Moscow, Russia 2nd 60 m hurdles 7.46 s PB
Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena, Colombia 1st 110 m hurdles 13.12 s CR
2007 Panamerican Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st 110 m hurdles 13.25 s
World Championships in Athletics Osaka, Japan 4th 110 m hurdles 13.15 s
IAAF World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 1st 110 m hurdles 12.92 s CR
2008 Golden Spike Meet Ostrava, Czech Republic 1st 110 m hurdles 12.87 s WR
Olympic Games Beijing, PR China 1st 110 m hurdles, 12.93 s
2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships Havana, Cuba 1st 110 m hurdles 13.18 w (wind: +2.5 m/s)
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 60 m hurdles 7.34
2011 2011 World Championships in Athletics Daegu, South Korea 110 m hurdles DQ
Pan American Games Guadalajara, Mexico 1st 110 m hurdles 13.10
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 110 m hurdles DNF

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Dayron Robles". Olympedia.org. OlyMADmen. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b López JL, Padullés JM, Olsson HJ (2011). "Biomechanical analysis and functional assessment of D. Robles, world record holder and Olympic champion in 110 m hurdles". Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences.
  3. ^ "Dayron ROBLES | Profile | World Athletics".
  4. ^ Dillman, Lisa (2008-06-13). "Dayron Robles sets world high hurdles record". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  5. ^ Clavelo, Javier (2008-02-28). Focus on Athletes – Dayron Robles. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-17.
  6. ^ "World Indoor Championship Results". The America's Intelligence Wire. 2006-03-11. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  7. ^ "Liu Xiang to meet Robles in World Champs". Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  8. ^ Gordon, Ed (2008-02-09). Robles faster still – 7.33 in Düsseldorf. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-12.
  9. ^ "Robles' elimination a disappointment for all hurdlers". Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  10. ^ Frederik Balfour (August 18, 2008). "China Olympic Hero Liu Xiang Quits Games". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on August 9, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  11. ^ "Merritt of U.S., Cuba's Robles capture track gold". Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  12. ^ Arcoleo, Laura (2010-03-14). Doha 2010 – Robles grabs first World gold in style. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-17.
  13. ^ 2010 IDL Golden Gala Results. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14.
  14. ^ Sampaolo, Diego (2010-06-13). Kaki scorches 1:43.48, Robles improves to 13.08 in Turin. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14.
  15. ^ Robinson, Javier Clavelo (2011-05-08). Robles debuts with 13.35 victory in rainy Guadeloupe. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-05-13.
  16. ^ Wong, Justeen. "Being Cuban cost me gold medal". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  17. ^ "IAAF.org Day 3 Results". IAAF. 2011. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  18. ^ "Robles, Dayron biography". IAAF. Retrieved 2009-03-03.

External links edit

Records
Preceded by Men's 110 m Hurdles World Record Holder
June 12, 2008 – September 7, 2012
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Men's 110 m Hurdles Best Year Performance
2007 (alongside Liu Xiang), 2008
Succeeded by
Preceded by IAAF Performance of the Year
2008
Succeeded by