Robles One Unhappy Camper

[guru]

Threatens to sit entire 2013 season over treatment by Cuban sports hierarchy

http://espn.go.com/olympics/trackandfie ... coach-says

[The Klingon]

"Antunez says the dispute is not about money, but rather about treatment on a human personal level."

Interesting statement. I wonder what it really means.

[GDAWG]

Would he defect?

[Marlow]

Interesting statement. I wonder what it really means.

It means it's about the money.

[JumboElliott]

His schedule last year was absurd. I think he ran at the Pan-Am Games.

[dj]

His schedule last year was absurd. I think he ran at the Pan-Am Games.

Wha? Pan-Am is always in the pre-Olympic year.

He had a very thin schedule in 2012: three indoor meets in Feb., three outdoors in May, and then the Olympics.

[ATK]

His schedule last year was absurd. I think he ran at the Pan-Am Games.

Wha? Pan-Am is always in the pre-Olympic year.

He had a very thin schedule in 2012: three indoor meets in Feb., three outdoors in May, and then the Olympics.

I'm almost certain he was injured after the meets in May.

[Blues]

People might remember this from last March... The issues are probably somewhat related.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/n ... etirement/

"Cuba's injury-plagued Olympic hurdles champion Dayron Robles said he's considering retirement after he defends his title at the London Games."....

"Robles would not give any details about the injury, other than to say it was a recurring issue. He said he was so bothered by it that he was well off his best at an event last month in Stockholm.
"At the last competition, and many people saw this, I was practically race walking because I couldn't do anything," Robles said."....

"In addition to the injury, Robles has complained recently about Cuba's poor training facilities. He called them "terrible," accusing the country's sports authorities of a lack of support.
"Nobody comes around to ask about anything, but they do come to demand results," he said in January.".....

[JumboElliott]

His schedule last year was absurd. I think he ran at the Pan-Am Games.

Wha? Pan-Am is always in the pre-Olympic year.

He had a very thin schedule in 2012: three indoor meets in Feb., three outdoors in May, and then the Olympics.

Still adjusting to 2013. I should have said 2011.

[berkeley]

Would he defect?

Certainly not to the US
Robles strikes me as a guy who's never happy. Have you ever heard him say something gracious about someone else ?

[gh]

It's a bit of a slippery slope to paint a whole group of people with the same wide brush, but my general impression has long that smiling isn't a big thing among Cuban athletes. Quirot and Sotomayor, for high-profile examples were always masters of the stone face. (Juanto an exception to the rule)

[guru]

Robles now retiring(supposedly)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/ ... rit=255506

[gh]

Amazing that he was so good for so long, and only turned 26 last November. He can easily (well, relatively speaking) change his mind in a year or so and make it back.

[gh]

longer story (w/ a Universal race video) now posted to front page

[marknhj]

I'm surprised that he's only 26 too. I'd guess that a combination of things have caused him to make this decision. Ongoing frustration at having apparently crap training facilities made worse by his exposure to those of other countries; absolute frustration with injuries preventing him from competing, or being competitive; the personal fiscal impact of his injuries on whatever deal he has with Cuban authorities. All made a hundred times worse by 12.80.

[Marlow]

Robles now retiring(supposedly)

I'm not a big fan of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. He'd be the Biggest Loser in retiring.

[ATK]

Robles now retiring(supposedly)

I'm not a big fan of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. He'd be the Biggest Loser in retiring.

I agree with you.

I'm curious what other Cuban athletes have said and how they have reacted regarding the lack of attention from Cuban sports officials.

[JumboElliott]

Shame he didn't try to defect after Beijing.

[GDAWG]

Shame he didn't try to defect after Beijing.

He probably considered it, but didn't think it was worth the hassle.

[bruce3404]

Not too many T&F athletes I root against, but he's one of them. Bit of a Diva.

[Per Andersen]

Not too many T&F athletes I root against, but he's one of them. Bit of a Diva.

I sure as hell loved to watch him over the years. One of the greats. If he's gone, too bad.

[Jon]

I have it on good authority that Robles is NOT retiring. He's frustrated with the federation and doesn't want to run for Cuba, but he's just taking a sabbatical and will likely return in 2014. If he hasn't ironed things out with the federation by then, I guess he could well represent a different country when he returns.

[GDAWG]

I have it on good authority that Robles is NOT retiring. He's frustrated with the federation and doesn't want to run for Cuba, but he's just taking a sabbatical and will likely return in 2014. If he hasn't ironed things out with the federation by then, I guess he could well represent a different country when he returns.

I am going to guess the new country if things are not resolved: Spain.

[Marlow]

I am going to guess the new country if things are not resolved: Spain.

Jamaica, mon!

[GDAWG]

I am going to guess the new country if things are not resolved: Spain.

Jamaica, mon!

Only if he masters English. His lack of English eliminates him from any English speaking country, although he might consider Puerto Rico, which is an American territory.

Besides, if he went to Jamaica, he would not even be the best 110 meter hurdler in Jamaica.

[Marlow]

Besides, if he went to Jamaica, he would not even be the best 110 meter hurdler in Jamaica.

I come not to praise Robles, but to bury him.

[bushop]

I'm going to guess the new country if things are not resolved: Spain.

Jamaica

Only if he masters English. His lack of English eliminates him from any English speaking country, although he might consider Puerto Rico, which is an American territory.

How come?

[toyracer]

Besides, if he went to Jamaica, he would not even be the best 110 meter hurdler in Jamaica.

Why not? He was 13.00 two years ago. 13.10 last year. Faster than our new national record holder Parchment.

[GDAWG]

I'm going to guess the new country if things are not resolved: Spain.

Jamaica

Only if he masters English. His lack of English eliminates him from any English speaking country, although he might consider Puerto Rico, which is an American territory.

How come?

Probably because a majority of the media in the English speaking countries speak English. Plus, he would probably have to interact with his new teammates, many of whom speak only English.

[bushop]

[Spain or Jamacia] Only if he masters English. His lack of English eliminates him from any English speaking country, although he might consider Puerto Rico, which is an American territory.

How come?

Probably because a majority of the media in the English speaking countries speak English. Plus, he would probably have to interact with his new teammates, many of whom speak only English.

There are multiple professional athletes in the US that speak little, if any, English. I would guess the same is true in Europe.