The athlete still inspiring Cuba 36 years after winning gold

 At the age of 26, Cuban Alberto Juantorena became the first runner to win both the 400 and 800 metre Olympic titles. No one has yet managed to equal that record, set at the 1976 games in Montreal.
His running style led to Juantorena being dubbed “the horse”, a nickname that up until then had only been used to refer to Fidel Castro. But Cuban sports commentators called him “the elegant one on the tracks” because of his long, flowing strides.

After Juantorena’s success, Cubans began to worship athletics, and that love of the sport continues to this day. After those two golds, many young people took to the track. They nurtured and continue to ensure Cuba’s excellence in athletics.

“With his heart in his mouth”
Juantorena didn’t seriously consider competing in athletics until he reached the age of 20. At 1.92 metres, he had been a basketball player. His debut at the Munich Olympics in 1972 was a flop – he was eliminated in the 400 metre semi-finals. Bad luck pursued him and he underwent two operations on his feet before his triumph in Montreal.
“Here comes Juantorena with his heart in his mouth”, said a Cuban TV commentator that day in Montreal. All of Cuba was glued to the radio and television. The voices of Cuban sports commentators were choked with emotion as they described the victories of the first Cuban ever to win Olympic gold in athletics.

From athlete to politician
Juantorena retired from active sports in 1983, after the World Championships in Helsinki. Since then, he’s been involved in a number of functions related to sport in Cuba and internationally. He’s currently the vice president of INDER, the Cuban National Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. He’s also the president of the Cuban Athletics Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Juantorena also promotes sports in poorer neighbourhoods among Cuban children and young people who don’t have the money to pay for it. He also encourages local communities to build their own sports fields because the government doesn’t have the resources to do so. Whenever Juantorena appears, everyone starts running. His sporting success in the 70s continues to inspire. No one on the island can misinterpret the expression “run like Juantorena”.
http://www.olympic.org/alberto-juantorena
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXDkx4LkhDE&feature=related