Roberto Skyers
Encyclopedia
Roberto Skyers is a Cuba
n track and field
athlete who competes in the sprinting events. He won the gold medal
in the 200 metres
at the 2011 Pan American Games
. His personal bests are 10.29 seconds for the 100 metres
and 20.24 seconds for the 200 m.
At the age of seventeen, he ran a national junior record of 20.24 seconds for the 200 metres that year and also ran a 100 metres
best of 10.31 seconds. This represented a significant improvement upon his 2008 best of 21.65 seconds and led to athletics statisticians A. Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava identifying him as one of the world's most promising sprinters. Skyers began competing internationally in 2009, making his debut at the ALBA Games
, where he claimed the 200 m title. He ran in the Cuban 4×100 metres relay team at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
, but the quartet failed to finish the race. He claimed the 200 m national title at the Barrientos Memorial in June.
Having finished third at the 2010 Barrientos meet and improved his 100 m to 10.29 seconds, Skyers represented Cuba in that event at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships
and went on to place fourth overall. He completed a 200 m and relay double at the 2011 ALBA Games
the following July. He established himself on the regional scene at the 2011 Pan American Games
: although he suffered a muscular twitch during the heats of the relay, he ran in the 200 m a few hours later and was the surprise gold medalist in the event, defeating Lansford Spence
and Bruno de Barros
.
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 sprinting events. 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 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...
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...
. His personal bests are 10.29 seconds for the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 20.24 seconds for the 200 m.
At the age of seventeen, he ran a national junior record of 20.24 seconds for the 200 metres that year and also ran a 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
best of 10.31 seconds. This represented a significant improvement upon his 2008 best of 21.65 seconds and led to athletics statisticians A. Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava identifying him as one of the world's most promising sprinters. Skyers began competing internationally in 2009, making his debut at the ALBA Games
ALBA Games
The ALBA Games are a biannual multi-sport event organized by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas . It was originally intended only for athletes of the ALBA member states but it has expanded to other countries in the Americas.The first edition was held in 2005 in Havana, Cuba...
, where he claimed the 200 m title. He ran in the Cuban 4×100 metres relay team at the 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:...
, but the quartet failed to finish the race. He claimed the 200 m national title at the Barrientos Memorial in June.
Having finished third at the 2010 Barrientos meet and improved his 100 m to 10.29 seconds, Skyers represented Cuba in that event at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships
2010 Ibero-American Championships
The 2010 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics was an athletics competition which was held at the Estadio Municipal Bahía Sur in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain from 4–6 June. A total of 44 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 22 by female athletes...
and went on to place fourth overall. He completed a 200 m and relay double 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:...
the following July. He established himself on the regional scene 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...
: although he suffered a muscular twitch during the heats of the relay, he ran in the 200 m a few hours later and was the surprise gold medalist in the event, defeating Lansford Spence
Lansford Spence
Lansford Spence is a Jamaican sprinter. Together with Sanjay Ayre, Brandon Simpson and Davian Clarke he won a bronze medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He also competed in the individual contest, but was knocked out in the semi final. In 2006 the relay team...
and Bruno de Barros
Bruno de Barros
Bruno de Barros is a Brazilian sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres.He was born in Maceió, and resides in São Bernardo. Barros represented Brazil at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed in the 4x100 metres relay together with José Carlos Moreira, Vicente de Lima and Sandro Viana...
.