The historical plenary session of the Spanish 1,500: "We give each other cakes and it goes well for us"

• Chronicle The thousandth controversy that opened the gates of heaven to Asier Martínez

"In Spain we give each other cakes and that goes very well for us. Right now we have a world level," proclaims

and when he rises to "world level" he does not exaggerate.

So global is it that from Tuesday to Wednesday (04:30 a.m.) there will be three Spaniards in the final of the 1,500 meters of Eugene, an unattainable milestone for 15 years, in the times of

.

In the bowels of Hayward Field, his two teammates,

and

, were happy about qualifying, but expectant, wanting to face the final, but Fontes was already excited by everything he had achieved.

It was not be for lowerly.

Until a few days ago he was out of the World Cup due to a technical decision.

The Federation decided that his place would be occupied by

and his intention to compete in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters until his positive for covid left a free place for Fontes.

The middle-distance runner remembered those days of uncertainty.

"This is a blow to the table. I had a bad time, I had a very bad time. When the list [of summoned] came out I had to go to Portugal with my partner to get away, to get some air, it was not easy to understand the decision of the Federation. I hope that from now on they trust me a little more, "claimed Fontes, a medicine student, a resident of Granada.

With García Romo, also a student, that of Chemistry at the American University of Ole Mississippi, they gave the surprise in the first semifinal.

Together with the best in the world, for example, the three medalists at the Tokyo Olympics, the Norwegian

, the Kenyan

and the British

, starred in an extremely tactical, slow race, in which they all entered some hundredths.

They stood out, with García Romo in second place and Fontes in fifth.

Then Katir, in the second semifinal, much faster, ideal for her abilities, completed the full.

"In the previous series I was about to be left out and I concentrated to get into the competition mode. Now I'm serious, I'm ready for the final", commented Katir, who will appear in the fight for the medals as a 'outsider'

The favorites are Ingebrigtsen and Cheruiyot, both seem unattainable, but the fight for bronze is supposed to be very open.

Katir, finalist in the 5,000 meters at the last Tokyo Games, is supposed to be the most experienced, although the three Spaniards arrive without much honors behind them.

With the goal achieved, to be in the final, now they want to surprise.

Despite the tradition in the 1,500 meters, the last Spanish men's medal in the 1,500 meters was that of Reyes Estévez in the 1999 World Cup, that is, an eternity ago.

This time, three new opportunities.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• World Athletics Championship