Barcelona and Valencia are trying to revalidate the Spanish Athletics Cup title

FC Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​in the men, and Valencia Atletismo, in the women, will seek this Saturday in Antequera (Málaga) to revalidate the title of champions of the Spanish Athletics Cup Joma and Iberdrola of ‘short track’, the name of the indoor track from this season.

Barcelonaleading the historical classification with twenty titles, the last three in a row, He arrives ready to add another victory, but it won’t be easy because of the level of the clubs they face.

These clubs are Trops-Cueva de Nerja, Unicaja Jaén Paraíso Interior, Delsur Cooperativa La Palma de Málaga (organizer), Grupoempleo Pamplona Atlético, Real Sociedad, Facsa-Playas de Castellón and CA Fent Camí Mislata, the last two, second and third respectively last year in Ourense.

The list of registered participants includes one Spanish record holder and up to five Spanish leaders of the year: Adriá Alfonso (200 meters), Carlos Rojas (height), Fabián Mesa (length), Pablo Torrijos (triple) and Carlos Tobalina (weight).

Barcelona arrived led by one of the great stars of Spanish athletics, national triple jump record holder Jordan Díaz.who returned to competition almost a year after the 2023 Spanish Championships, where he achieved 17.59 meters, then the Spanish indoor record.

Díaz will be the leader of a team in which other outstanding athletes will also appear such as Pol Elvira (6.73 in 60 meters, second sub-20 in history), Lucas Búa (46.94 this year in 400), Pablo Sánchez-Valladares (800 and 1:48.63), Aleix Pi (Spanish outdoor pole vault champion and 5.40) and Carlos Tobalina (weight 19.81 meters).

Last year’s runner-up team, Facsa-Playas de Castellón (with five titles to their credit, the last in 2020) presents itself in a very compact team where the names of Daniel Rodríguez (60 meters and 6.72), Adriá Alfonso ( 200 and current absolute champion of Spain, recent sub-23 champion and 21.08), Manuel Guijarro (400 and 46.98), Abderrahman El Khayami (1,500 and 3:44.14), Kevin Sánchez (60 hurdles , 8.00), Alexis Sastre (height, 1.94) , the Cuban Lester Lescay (length, 7.91), the former Spanish triple record holder Pablo Torrijos (15.81 this Wednesday in Valencia) and Miguel Gómez (weight, 18.17).

In women, Valencia Club Atletismo, defending the title it won in the last two editions and with a total of 27 times in 42 matches so far, he tops the club’s list.

Along with the teams of Valencia, Grupoempleo Pamplona Atlético, Trops-Cueva de Nerja, Unicaja Jaén Paraíso Interior, Atlético San Sebastián, Piélagos, Facsa-Playas de Castellón and FC Barcelona will be present; these last two, second and third ranked last year.

The Valencians, defenders of the victory achieved a year ago in Orense, come with their full arsenal of athletes, featuring the recent under-23 60 meters champion Elena Guiu (7.36), also the sprinter Esperança Cladera ( 23.46 in the 200), runner- up under -23 like Blanca Hervás in the 400 (53.58); Laura Bueno, who will compete in an unusual event for her like the 800, Beatriz Álvarez (3000, Paula Blanquer in the 60 hurdles (8.13) and Saleta Fernández in the height (1.84); Malen Ruiz de Azua (4.30 in the pole vault) and Evelyn Yankey (6.44 long in recent sub23).

Current runner-up Facsa-Playas de Castellón, champion in 2020 and 2021, will try to return to the top of the podium based on a seamless team whose main pillars are Ona Rossell (60 meters 7.40) , the leader of this year. 200 Paula Sevilla (23.25), the under-23 champion last weekend on the same track in the 400 Carmen Avilés and absolute leader of the event (53.31), Marta Mitjans (800 m, 2:07.39), Mireya Arnedillo (1500) , Blanca Fernández (3,000) and the Spanish weight record holder Belén Toimil (17.82 meters).