Jorge Fernández (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Jorge Fernández (Jorge Yadián Fernández Hernández; born 2 October 1987) is a Cuba
n track and field
athlete who competes in the discus throw
. He won the gold medal
in the event at the Pan American Games
in 2011 and is a two-time winner at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics (2008 and 2009). His personal best throw is 66.00 m, set in Havana in 2010.
, Fernández won his first international medal at the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
, where he came second in the discus behind Ryan Whiting
of the United States. That same year, he threw a Caribbean junior best of 58.12 m with the 1.75 kg discus. He also competed with the senior implement and was third at the national championships and sixth at the 2005 ALBA Games. In 2006, he improved to set a national junior record of 60.06 m and finished fifth at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
in Beijing
.
In his first year as a senior athlete, he set a personal best of 57.57 m and won the discus title at the 2007 ALBA Games. He cleared the 60 m mark numerous times in 2008, setting a new personal best of 63.31 m in Havana
in June. He was chosen to compete at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships
and came away with the gold medal
, finishing just ahead of fellow Cuban Yunior Lastre
. Fernández made his Olympic debut at the age of twenty a month later and finished 15th in his qualifying group at the 2008 Beijing Games
.
His 2009 season was entirely based in Havana: he won the discus titles at the 2009 ALBA Games and then the Barrientos Memorial. He threw a new personal record mark of 63.92 m in June. The 2009 CAC Championships
was held in the Cuban capital and he defended his region title to lead a discus 1–2 for the host nation alongside his compatriot Lastre. In the early part of 2010, he had a throw of 64.13 m then threw 66.00 m exactly in March in Havana. He won the Barrientos meet and the national championships before going on to take the bronze medal
for Cuba at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics in San Fernando, Cadiz. At the end of the track and field season, he was selected to represent a combined Americas team at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
and he finished the competition in sixth place with a throw of 61.18 m.
Fernández started the 2011 season in strong form, throwing 65.54 m at the Copa Cuba meeting in March and winning at the Barrientos Memorial with a throw of 64.77 m in May. In his first year based in Europe, he had a season's best throw of 65.89 m came in Cottbus
in June and won the Weltklasse in Biberach and Meeting de Atletismo Madrid
competitions. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
he was fourth in qualifying with a mark of 64.94 m, but fell short of this in the final, ending the final in eighth place with a best mark of 63.54 m. His year ended on a high as he won the gold medal
at the 2011 Pan American Games
in Guadalajara
– his winning throw of 65.58 m was the best seen at the tournament in 24 years and he became the third Cuban to take the men's Pan American discus title (joining Roberto Moya
and Luis Delís
).
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 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 competes in the 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...
. He 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...
in the event at the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in 2011 and is a two-time winner at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics (2008 and 2009). His personal best throw is 66.00 m, set in Havana in 2010.
Career
Born in MatanzasMatanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
, Fernández won his first international medal at the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 13th Pan American Junior Athletics Championships were held inWindsor, Ontario at the University of Windsor Stadium on July 29-31, 2005.-Participation :Detailed result lists can be found on the Athletics Canada, the CACAC, the...
, where he came second in the discus behind Ryan Whiting
Ryan Whiting
Ryan Keith Whiting is an American track and field athlete specializing in the shot put. His biggest international senior success to date is the seventh place in the final of the 2011 World Championships. Whiting studied at and represented Arizona State University...
of the United States. That same year, he threw a Caribbean junior best of 58.12 m with the 1.75 kg discus. He also competed with the senior implement and was third at the national championships and sixth at the 2005 ALBA Games. In 2006, he improved to set a national junior record of 60.06 m and finished fifth at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
In his first year as a senior athlete, he set a personal best of 57.57 m and won the discus title at the 2007 ALBA Games. He cleared the 60 m mark numerous times in 2008, setting a new personal best of 63.31 m in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in June. He was chosen to compete at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships
2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships
The 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships were held at the Estadio Pedro Grajales in Cali, Colombia between 4–6 July 2008. A total of 44 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 22 by female athletes. During the three-day competition, six championship records were broken...
and came away with 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...
, finishing just ahead of fellow Cuban Yunior Lastre
Yunior Lastre
Yunior Lastre Hechevarría is a Cuban discus thrower. His personal best throw is 63.67 metres, achieved in March 2009 in Havana....
. Fernández made his Olympic debut at the age of twenty a month later and finished 15th in his qualifying group at the 2008 Beijing Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
His 2009 season was entirely based in Havana: he won the discus titles at the 2009 ALBA Games and then the Barrientos Memorial. He threw a new personal record mark of 63.92 m in June. The 2009 CAC Championships
2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships was the twenty second edition of the tournament and was held between 3 and 7 July in Havana, Cuba.-Event summary:...
was held in the Cuban capital and he defended his region title to lead a discus 1–2 for the host nation alongside his compatriot Lastre. In the early part of 2010, he had a throw of 64.13 m then threw 66.00 m exactly in March in Havana. He won the Barrientos meet and the national championships before going on to take 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...
for Cuba at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics in San Fernando, Cadiz. At the end of the track and field season, he was selected to represent a combined Americas team at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
2010 IAAF Continental Cup
The 1st IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Originally scheduled as the 11th IAAF World Cup in Athletics, it was renamed in 2008 when the IAAF revamped the competition format...
and he finished the competition in sixth place with a throw of 61.18 m.
Fernández started the 2011 season in strong form, throwing 65.54 m at the Copa Cuba meeting in March and winning at the Barrientos Memorial with a throw of 64.77 m in May. In his first year based in Europe, he had a season's best throw of 65.89 m came in Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
in June and won the Weltklasse in Biberach and Meeting de Atletismo Madrid
Meeting de Atletismo Madrid
The Meeting de Atletismo Madrid is an annual international athletics meeting that takes place at the Estadio de Vallehermoso in Madrid, Spain. It is one of 14 events in the IAAF World Challenge. The most recent event took place on 9th, July 2011. -Men:...
competitions. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
he was fourth in qualifying with a mark of 64.94 m, but fell short of this in the final, ending the final in eighth place with a best mark of 63.54 m. His year ended on a high as he 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
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...
– his winning throw of 65.58 m was the best seen at the tournament in 24 years and he became the third Cuban to take the men's Pan American discus title (joining Roberto Moya
Roberto Moya
Roberto Saturnino Moya Sandoval is a Cuban athlete who mainly competed in discus throw.He was born in Havana, Ciudad de la Habana. He won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in this event, and his personal best is 65.68....
and Luis Delís
Luis Delís
Luis Mariano Delís Fournier is a retired Cuban athlete who competed in discus throw and shot put. Specializing in discus throw on the international scene, he won an Olympic bronze medal in 1980 as well as medals at the two first World Championships.In 1990 he tested positive for banned substances...
).