Martínez beats the Frenchman Martinot-Lagarde by less than a head at the same finish line. /
The 22-year-old Navarrese wins gold in the 110 hurdles in a fast-paced race in which he beat his rival by one thousandth
The Navarrese Asier Martínez sat last night on the European throne of the 110 meter hurdles. He fulfilled the predictions that placed him as the favorite in the final and won gold in a fast-paced race, the end of which raised doubts due to the equality between the Spaniard and the Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde. The judges had to resort to the photo finish to decide who was the new continental monarch. A single thousandth gave the victory to the young man born 22 years ago in Zizur Mayor.
With yesterday’s victory at the European Athletics Championships in Munich, Martínez fuels a career with incredible progress. He surprised in the World Cups with a bronze that he himself did not expect to achieve. The first place in Germany places the Navarrese as one of the great world specialists in short hurdles.
This university student reached the Munich final with the best mark of all the participants. He was the candidate for victory in his first absolute Europeans. Rod Milburn’s track saw the triumph of an athlete who is known for competing with a mentality of steel.
The Navarrese was full of enthusiasm in the semifinals that took place just two hours before the final test. He agreed directly, without having to go through the qualifying tests, thanks to his excellent past records. From lane five he already stood out from the rest when he had crossed the equator of the distance and entered the finish line first with a certain superiority. He posted a time of 13.25 and it seemed that he hadn’t expended too much energy coming in the lead to get his passport to the Europeans final.
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It was more complicated in the final. His Gallic rival made a terrible mark on him and both hurdlers advanced almost together to the finish line. None made mistakes and they kept the trajectory to decide the gold by one thousandth. Martínez won with a time of 13.137. In this way he pulverized his individual record again (13.17) in what has already become a custom for the Navarrese when he attends major international events.
Martínez (190 centimeters and 78 kilos) had already stood out in the U23 European Championships that took place in Tallinn (Estonia) last summer by winning gold and confirmed his aspirations with sixth place at the Tokyo Olympics. He was fourth in the last European indoor event. He gave the bell by hanging the bronze in the World Cups played in Oregon last July. On the American track in Eugene he signed his personal record (13.17) and there he took advantage of the circumstances when two of the candidates to get on the podium could not compete. In a dispute between six athletes, the one from Zizur once again demonstrated that the big stages do not intimidate him. He prevailed over the trio of the French school: Martinot-Lagarde himself, the young Sasha Zhoya, and the strong Just Kwaou-Mathey. Martínez owes a very important part of his successes to his coach François Beoringyan, a former athlete born in Chad who has lived in Pamplona for twenty years
On the other hand, the other Spaniard in the final of 110 meters hurdles, Quique Llopis, did not have his day. The Valencian won his semifinal series with a time of 13.30 (personal best by 0.04), which also reinforced his aspirations to occupy one of the three places in the drawer. In fact, Llopis appeared in the race for the medals with the third best time of the Europeans, but he finished seventh. Last night the throne was destined for Asier Martínez.
Political Science student and just seven years in athletics
The progression of Asier Martínez (27-4-2000, Zizur Mayor) does not seem to have limits. The Navarrese arrived at the European Championships in Munich installed in the world elite with only 22 years and only seven years of experience in athletics. When the 2021 outdoor season began, his mark in the 110m hurdles was 13.70. Last night he improved it (13,137). Political Science student at the UPV, this season he has decided to do it online to have more training time and not have to travel to Bilbao. Between his town and the Larrabide track he spends his days, although whenever he can he disconnects with his inseparable gang of friends, “some hangers who are completely different from me, I love them and who create the environment that helps me the most”, according to your own definition.
Last night, Martínez once again aroused the euphoria of athletics fans when they witnessed an epic race, with a heart-stopping finish and a European champion who is beginning to add to his record, a career that still has a long way to go. “I am happy with what I have done. It was covered up and it turned out fine. He was confident of winning, but he knew it was very difficult because there was a high level », said the golden giant that he received hundreds of congratulations after his great success.
