Omar Cisneros
Encyclopedia
Omar Cisneros Bonora (born 19 November 1989) is a Cuba
n track and field
athlete who competes in the 400 metres hurdles
. He is the Cuban national record
holder for the event with his personal best of 47.99 seconds. He won gold medal
s in the hurdles and 4×400 metres relay at the Pan American Games
in 2011.
Cisneros represented Cuba at the 2008 Summer Olympics
at the age of eighteen and competed at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009 and 2011. He has also won gold medals with the Cuban relay team at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics.
, Cisneros made his first international appearances in 2007. He began his career competing both the hurdles and the 400 metres
sprint. After ran a personal best time of 46.05 seconds for the flat race at a local meeting in March, he won the national junior title in the event. He won two titles at the 2007 ALBA Games, running a national junior record of 49.57 seconds to win the 400 m hurdles before going on to help the Cuban 4×400 metres relay team take a second gold medal
. He was chosen for the Cuban squad at the 2007 Pan American Games
and managed to reach the semi-finals of the 400 m, although the relay team were disqualified in the heats.
He decided to focus solely on the 400 m flat in 2008 and dipped under 46 seconds (45.98) to take the bronze medal
at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships
. A team comprising William Collazo
, Yunier Pérez, Cisneros and Yeimer López
also won the relay gold medal
and their time of 3:02.10 minutes meant the team had achieved the Olympic qualifying time. Cisneros won another gold with the relay team at the 2008 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics and went on to make his Olympic debut at the age of eighteen at the 2008 Beijing Games
, where he ran a split of 44.36 seconds in the heats.
A personal best of 45.76 seconds for the 400 m opened Cisneros' 2009 season, but it was at this point that he began to focus more on the 400 m hurdling event. He ran a personal best of 49.49 seconds to win the gold at the 2009 ALBA Games and also helped defend Cuba's relay title. At the Barrientos Memorial he improved his best by almost half a second, running a time of 48.87 seconds to become the second Cuban under 49 seconds after Yacnier Luis. He was a little short of this form at July's 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
, where he finished in fourth place, but he did win a consecutive relay gold medal for Cuba at the competition. He made his individual global debut at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
and came fifth in his 400 m hurdles semi-final, clocking a time of 49.21 seconds.
With no major competitions scheduled for 2010, he made his debut on the Diamond League circuit, coming fifth at the Doha meeting
. He won gold medals at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics both the hurdles and relay events. That July in Havana
he improved his 400 m hurdles best by six tenths of a second, breaking the Cuban record
held by Yacnier Luis with a run of 48.29 seconds. Two weeks later, the 20-year-old went even faster with a time of 48.21 seconds. In the first half of 2011 he won the Barrientos Memorial and two European meets in Cottbus
and Celle Ligure
. Cisneros represented Cuba in the hurdles at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
, but was some way off his best form and finished last in his semi-final with a run of 50.10 seconds. In spite of this modest season, the 2011 Pan American Games
in October in Guadalajara
saw Cisneros reach a new career peak. He won his hurdles heat with a time of 48.99 seconds – his fastest run away from Cuban soil. Although he entered the competition with a hope of reaching the top three, he dominated the final with a national and Pan American Games record run of 47.99 seconds, finishing almost a second ahead of the minor medalists Isa Phillips
and Félix Sánchez
. The time made him the fifth fastest hurdler in the world that year. He ended the competition with a second victory in the 4×400 m relay and the time of 2:59.43 minutes set by a team of Noel Ruíz, Yoandri Betanzos
, Cisneros and Collazo was the fastest by a Cuban quartet since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where the country won Olympic silver.
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 400 metres hurdles
400 metres hurdles
The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...
. He is the Cuban national record
Cuban records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Cuba maintained by its national athletics federation: Federación Cubana de Atletismo .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to longer distance# = not officially ratified by IAAF...
holder for the event with his personal best of 47.99 seconds. He won 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...
s in the hurdles and 4×400 metres relay 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.
Cisneros represented Cuba at the 2008 Summer Olympics
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...
at the age of eighteen and competed at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009 and 2011. He has also won gold medals with the Cuban relay team at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics.
Career
Born in the city of CamagüeyCamagüey
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...
, Cisneros made his first international appearances in 2007. He began his career competing both the hurdles and the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
sprint. After ran a personal best time of 46.05 seconds for the flat race at a local meeting in March, he won the national junior title in the event. He won two titles at the 2007 ALBA Games, running a national junior record of 49.57 seconds to win the 400 m hurdles before going on to help the Cuban 4×400 metres relay team take a second 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...
. He was chosen for the Cuban squad at the 2007 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007...
and managed to reach the semi-finals of the 400 m, although the relay team were disqualified in the heats.
He decided to focus solely on the 400 m flat in 2008 and dipped under 46 seconds (45.98) 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...
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...
. A team comprising William Collazo
William Collazo
William Collazo is a Cuban sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships...
, Yunier Pérez, Cisneros and Yeimer López
Yeimer López
Yeimer López García is a middle distance runner from Cuba, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2004. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 800 metres at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil. López is the twin brother of female...
also won the relay 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...
and their time of 3:02.10 minutes meant the team had achieved the Olympic qualifying time. Cisneros won another gold with the relay team at the 2008 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics and went on to make his Olympic debut at the age of eighteen 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...
, where he ran a split of 44.36 seconds in the heats.
A personal best of 45.76 seconds for the 400 m opened Cisneros' 2009 season, but it was at this point that he began to focus more on the 400 m hurdling event. He ran a personal best of 49.49 seconds to win the gold at the 2009 ALBA Games and also helped defend Cuba's relay title. At the Barrientos Memorial he improved his best by almost half a second, running a time of 48.87 seconds to become the second Cuban under 49 seconds after Yacnier Luis. He was a little short of this form at July's 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
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:...
, where he finished in fourth place, but he did win a consecutive relay gold medal for Cuba at the competition. He made his individual global debut at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
and came fifth in his 400 m hurdles semi-final, clocking a time of 49.21 seconds.
With no major competitions scheduled for 2010, he made his debut on the Diamond League circuit, coming fifth at the Doha meeting
Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix
The Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It was first organized in 1997.-Men:-Women:...
. He won gold medals at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics both the hurdles and relay events. That July 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...
he improved his 400 m hurdles best by six tenths of a second, breaking the Cuban record
Cuban records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Cuba maintained by its national athletics federation: Federación Cubana de Atletismo .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to longer distance# = not officially ratified by IAAF...
held by Yacnier Luis with a run of 48.29 seconds. Two weeks later, the 20-year-old went even faster with a time of 48.21 seconds. In the first half of 2011 he won the Barrientos Memorial and two European meets 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 :...
and Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure
Celle Ligure is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 30 km west of Genoa and about 8 km northeast of Savona...
. Cisneros represented Cuba in the hurdles 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....
, but was some way off his best form and finished last in his semi-final with a run of 50.10 seconds. In spite of this modest season, 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 October 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...
saw Cisneros reach a new career peak. He won his hurdles heat with a time of 48.99 seconds – his fastest run away from Cuban soil. Although he entered the competition with a hope of reaching the top three, he dominated the final with a national and Pan American Games record run of 47.99 seconds, finishing almost a second ahead of the minor medalists Isa Phillips
Isa Phillips
Isa Phillips is a Jamaican hurdling athlete who specialises in the 400 metres hurdles.The Kingston native made his international debut at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics, finishing sixth in the 400 m hurdles semi-finals. He won the national under-18s championship in the event...
and Félix Sánchez
Felix Sanchez
Félix Sánchez —nicknamed Super Felix, the Invincible and the Dictator— is a track and field athlete from New York City, United States who competes for The Dominican Republic...
. The time made him the fifth fastest hurdler in the world that year. He ended the competition with a second victory in the 4×400 m relay and the time of 2:59.43 minutes set by a team of Noel Ruíz, Yoandri Betanzos
Yoandri Betanzos
Yoandri Betanzos Francis is a Cuban athlete competing in the triple jump.His personal best jump is 17.65 metres, achieved in April 2009 in Havana...
, Cisneros and Collazo was the fastest by a Cuban quartet since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where the country won Olympic silver.