Yarelis Barrios: "I don't plan to return to high competition"

May is approaching, the month in which the sanction of one year away from athletic activity for doping of Cuban disco player Yarelis Barrios, the Ebony Effigy.

I was inquiring about her current job and, as kind as always, the robust woman from Pinar del Río called me and we talked about her current status.

"I'm fine, in my new house, putting the finishing touches on the home where you live. Watching my two-year-old daughter, Ivana, grow up. And yes, now on May 24 the sanction imposed by the Committee of IAAF refereeing, although I tell you the same thing I have said until now: I have not signed any sanction, I myself don't know anything.

"You remember how well the recently deceased Jesús Molina (old leader of the beautiful sport on the Island) as well as Alberto Juantorena, current vice president of the IAAF, behaved with me so that I could go to the Appeals Committee with a lawyer but this one, No matter how much he did, it was without the minimum foundation to defend me.

"It is proven that the prohibited substance that I supposedly gave myself, acetozolamide, used for different diseases, can cause dizziness, vomiting, weakness, and is lost in the blood in less than 72 hours; that is, I had to consume it in Beijing itself. What benefits did it bring me, by God? And I was clean in my laboratory, the Cuban one, which is very prestigious. I had to defend myself but no plan was put together for it.."

(I still remember the words of her coach Raúl Calderón when he assured me that his disciple informed him when she took an aspirin).

"Total, that I lost my appeal And I tell you something? "I don't plan to return to high competition."

Yarelis continues to train children and adolescents at the EIDE "Osmany Arenado", where she is recognized and valued by her superiors. For example, the provincial methodologist Félix Mesa assures that The Olympic and world discus throw medalist is preparing three boys who will soon represent Pinar del Río in the National School Games and two of them could be direct quarry for the national team.

"That's right. A girl, Yuliet de la Caridad Plumas, who is in the fourteen-fifteen category, and Jorge Torres, in the twelve-thirteen, look immense for their ages. They compete in the bialon, that is, discus and shot and They are a national reference. I have another one who is very good, Randy Valdés, also fourteen-fifteen."

Her new house, looking optimistically at the future, thinking that she fulfilled her sport, her province and her country, direct the steps of the four-time world medalist and Olympic bronze medalist from London and it is very likely that, soon, we will see her training a new Olympic champion.