Andrés Simón Gómez

Andrés Simón Gómez. Cuban runner. World champion in 60 meters indoors in Budapest, Hungary, 1989. Bronze medal as a member of the 4x100 relay at the Barcelona Olympics, 1992. Gold medals in 100 meters and in the 4x100 relay at the Central American and Caribbean Games, Santiago de los Caballeros de Ponce, 1993. Gold medal in 100m and in the 4x100m relay at the Central American Championship, Nassau, 1985. Gold medals in the 4x100m relay at the Ibero-American championship, Mexico, 1988.

He was born in Guantánamo. He came late to athletics at 19 years old, which did not prevent him from becoming a specialist in short distances: 60 and 100 m, at a time when there was strict standards for those who lacked an early sports initiation.

He practically did not run the 200 m, his best mark was a modest 21.61 s in 1985, beyond the fortieth place of all time in Cuba. In 1984, at 23 years old, he joined the national team and progressed notably by registering 10.25s that year and placing 3rd in the national ranking.

In the three following years his marks were the best in Cuba, and his 10.06 s in 1987 made him the third fastest Cuban in the history of athletics in our country.

His most significant results were the gold medal in 60m at the World Indoor Championship in Budapest 1989 and the bronze medal in the 4x100 m at the Barcelona Olympic Games 1992, with a time of 38s absolute national record, thus surpassing the one in effect since the Mexico City Olympic Games 1968.

He had the fastest reaction, which is why he is considered "the master of the start in Cuba."

His dedicated work over so many years was rewarded with his inclusion in the Hall of Fame of the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation, when he was honored along with Javier Sotomayor, Roberto Hernández, Norberto Téllez, Luis Mariano Delís, Silvia Costa and Maritza Martén García.

Simón could be called Fast and small, because despite his modest 1.61 meters in height he managed to become the first and only world champion of speed in his country.

Precisely his height was the first obstacle that little Andrés Simón Gómez had to overcome when he showed credentials in sprinting, back in his native Guantánamo.

At that time there was not the obsession with tall, strong men for sports that exists nowadays, but neither was a runner well regarded if he gave away so much in terms of distance covered by the length of his legs.

However, Simón never let himself be convinced to abandon the sport, and through courage and dedication he managed to remain for several years as the best Cuban sprinter, and even obtain a historic Olympic medal, despite dedicating himself until age 19 to practicing football, and consistently to athletics only after age 22.

Born on April 15, 1961 in the lands of El Guaso (he turns 48 years old this Wednesday), he combined his natural abilities with a strong desire to reach the highest level and great dedication, which made him overcome many difficult moments in his long career, as he continued running until almost 40 years old.

He had his first important result when he won in the 100 meters at the Central American and Caribbean Games of Santiago de los Caballeros 1986. At that event he clocked 10 seconds and 29 hundredths, to beat Dominican Juan Núñez (10.38) and Jamaican Ray Stewart (10.48).

A few months later he achieved what would ultimately be his best personal mark in the 100 meters (10.06), accomplished in mid-1987.

He did not arrive at the World Indoor Championship in Budapest 1989 as a favorite, however when the moment came he ran like a bullet and crowned himself with a time of six seconds and 52 hundredths, to beat Ghanaian John Myles-Mills (6.59) and Italian Pierfrancesco Pavón (6.61). Neither before nor after has any Cuban been able to reach the podium in a competition of this type, in flat races.

Without a doubt, that was his greatest moment of glory, but three years later, at the Barcelona Olympic Games 1992 he experienced another unforgettable one, when he was part of the Caribbean quartet that won the bronze medal in the 4x100, the last summer medal for Cuban athletics in pure sprinting events.

He was already 31 years old, an age at which most sprinters in the world have retired, but he was still in very good condition. The Cuban relay team showed credentials from the semifinal, when it finished behind only the super-favorite United States, and in the final Simón, Joel Lamela, Joel Isasi and Jorge Luis Aguilera completed the feat.

They covered the oval of the Montjuic Olympic Stadium in exactly 38 seconds, to shatter the 38.40 that had been Cuba's record since 1968, and establish the record still in effect on the Island.

Four years later, at age 35, he returned to be part of the Caribbean quartet in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic final, where they finished sixth, with a time of 39.39. Previously they had been fourth at the Stuttgart 1993 World Championship.

His pending subject were the Pan American Games, in which he was never able to reach the podium, despite Cuba winning the 4x100 relays in both Havana 1991 and Mar del Plata 1995, but he never was part of the winning quartet.

His dedicated work over so many years was rewarded with his inclusion in the Hall of Fame of the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation last year, when he was honored along with the stellar Javier Sotomayor, Roberto Hernández, Norberto Téllez, Luis Mariano Delís, Silvia Costa and Maritza Martén.