| Alberto Juantorena |
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Alberto Juantorena Danger (born December 3 , 1950 ) is a former Cuba n Athlete . At the 1976 Summer Olympics , ''White Lightning'' became the first athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m. Born in Santiago De Cuba , Juantorena first played Basketball , until he was discovered by a Polish track coach, Zygmunt Zabierzowski, who convinced him to start running. Only a year later, Juantorena was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 400 m event at the Munich Olympics (1972) . He became better known in the next years, winning a gold medal at the World University Games (1973) and a silver at the 1975 Pan American Games , both in the 400 m. He only seriously took up running the 800 m in 1976, but few thought he was a serious candidate for the Olympic gold that year. However, Juantorena made it to the Olympic final, and lead the field for most of the race, eventually winning in a World Record time of 1:43.50. Three days later, he also won the 400 m final. Juantorena, now known at home as ''El Caballo'' (the horse), continued his career, although he would never reach the same level as in Montreal. He just missed out on a medal in the 400 m at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, placing fourth. At the 1983 World Championships, his last international appearance in a major event, he was eliminated in the semi-finals. Juantorena later served as the Vice Minister of Sports for Cuba. |
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