LONDRES (AP) — El anhelado primer oro olímpico que esperaba ganar Puerto Rico en los 400 metros con vallas se esfumó en los últimos metros, cuando Javier Culson tropezó con la séptima valla, perdió el paso y quedó fuera de la pelea.

Culson entró tercero, detrás del dominicano Félix Sánchez y del estadounidense Michael Tinsley, y terminó llevándose una medalla de bronce que supo a poco.

"Esta medalla no me la esperaba. Yo quería esa medalla (de oro) y todo Puerto Rico la estaba esperando", se lamentó. "No los pude complacer", reiteró, bajando la cabeza y como con ganas de soltar el llanto.

"Le di a la valla siete y perdí el ritmo", explicó Culson, de 28 años, con voz entrecortada y apenado. "Volverlo a recuperar fue muy difícil".

"No esperaba esto. Es la primera carrera que le doy a una valla", insistió.

Agregó que "estaba dominando" y que su estrategia era que cuando llegara a los últimos 100 metros "iba a ser mi carrera", para asegurar la medalla de oro.

Reiteró que en la última recta iba con el mando de la prueba, pero "me quedé sin fuerzas, perdí el ritmo. Hacer cambios de ritmo es muy difícil".

Culson se desplomó al terminar la prueba y, tras levantarse de la pista, el británico Dai Greene le dijo algo. Greene había derrotado a Culson en la final del Mundial de atletismo en Daegu, Corea del Sur, el año pasado.

"Me dijo 'atrapaste una medalla''', contó Culson.

Pero el bronce no era el metal que buscaba el nativo de Ponce.

"No ví como corrió", dijo Sánchez a The Associated Press. "Hicimos historia hoy. Para dos latinos subir al podio en una competencia que dominan los atletas de Estados Unidos, eso es tremendo".

"Sé que el quería oro o la plata, pero el bronce es importante", agregó.

Sánchez, como en sus mejores tiempos y aprovechando cada debilidad de los rivales, cerró como león al final. Cruzó la meta con tiempo de 47.63 para amarrar el oro. Tinsley aseguró la plata al cruzar segundo con tiempo de 47.91.

Los puertorriqueños soñaban con su primera presea olímpica de oro y tenían razones muy fuertes, después de que Culson ganó su segunda medalla de plata en un Mundial

Culson se embarcó en un arduo entrenamiento, y al llegar a Londres decidió no hablar con los periodistas sino hasta que disputase la final.

No quería distracciones.

Culson sabía también de antemano que para atrapar el oro en Londres tenía que mejorar su marca personal de 47.70, lo cual no sucedió.

Antes de las preliminares, Culson y Greene asomaban como los grandes favoritos por sobre el veterano Sánchez, quien no aparecía en las papeletas de candidatos al oro. El británico y campeón mundial se fue con las manos vacías.

Ante una pregunta el lunes, Culson dijo que este no era el final para su carrera y que pensaba volver a intentar conquistar el oro dentro de cuatro años en Río de Janeiro 2016.

Citó como ejemplo al triunfador Sánchez, quien a punto de cumplir 35 años atrapó de forma monumental su segunda medalla olímpica, después de haberse colgado la primera hace ocho años en Atenas.

___

Juan Zamorano está en Twitter como http://twitter.com/Juan_ZamoranoAP

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