Sahily Diago and her coach Frank Ayala dream from Guatemala of achieving medals for Cuba

I hadn't heard of it in a whileSahily Diago, a Cuban 800 meter runner who in 2014, at just 19 years old, set a time of one minute 57 seconds 74 hundredths in that distance.

Second in the 2014 Oregon Junior World Championship and also silver in the 2012 Central American Junior Championship, Sahily has lived in Guatemala for four years and trains under the avid gaze of a Cuban coach,Frank Ayala, who, as he himself states, “loves her like a daughter and has trained her for many years.”

This is a nice story that I “stumbled upon” through one of those sons that I have in athletics, my dear Norbert Gutiérrez, regional medalist in 5 and 10 thousand meters, better known among the athletic family as “Burundun.”

Oh Julita, what a pleasure to hear from you even if it is through the networks! I follow you and of course I agree to talk to you. I worked at the Pan American stadium from 2007 to 2014 when I requested my leave from the Cuban Athletics Federation. I specialized in youth runners of 800 and 1500 meters, although I always had some older runners.

I have lived in Guatemala since 2015 and I am very happy because I was able to bring my mother and my son, who came with his mother, and I am in a stable relationship with a Guatemalan girl. We all get along well.

What status are you under there?

Free work contract under the auspices of the Olympic Committee and the National Athletics Federation of Guatemala. I am not linked to any club. With Cuba we had a project before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, through which the runner Rosemary Almanza came, achieving her best times and for which I also did not receive any monetary remuneration, despite the attempts of the then commissioner Yipsi Moreno.

In fact, when the 4 by 400 team won that World Team Championship or were Olympic finalists, my name never appeared in the Best of the Year Gala. I don't know what will happen to the prize money because since I don't appear officially, what am I going to expect?

In relation to Sahily, we began to prepare together in 2010. When I left she continued training with Nelson García and after Tokyo, she decided to train with me and came to Guatemala. She had met an athlete from this country, they fell in love and got married. Thus, after four years apart, we came together again.

Here I feel very good, they respect me and in addition to several native athletes I train Sahily, without any help from Cuba but I do it very comfortably. We are both in Quetzaltenango, at an altitude of 2,347 meters above sea level, which greatly favors preparation.

Speaking of preparation, what plans have you made?

What we normally do is a Matveev periodization until the Centrocaribes in July in San Salvador and then two plans in ATR (Accumulation, Transformation and Realization) for the other two competitions of the year: the World Cup in Budapest, Hungary in August and the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile in November.

How does the tremendous altitude of that region influence your preparation?

You know what it means to train at altitude. Science applied to sports prevails. Here you work in hypoxic conditions, you have to control the levels of lactic acid, urea, and CK. You have to be very aware of the hydration levels, the loads. If there are good levels of hydration and nutrition, hemoglobin, a vital oxygen carrier, collaborates with the athlete's good condition and subsequent results.

It is not by chance that Kenyans are at the forefront in semi-distance and long-distance races and those who were born at sea level move to altitude.

So far, how is Sahily feeling?

We are focused on arriving in good shape to Paris. She feels fine, with no discomfort or injuries.

Do you have competitions planned in Europe?

Well yes. We have a Spanish manager and we already have our critical path that would begin after participating in the Cuba Cup, a necessary event since the Cuban National Championship; We will also participate in some World Continental Tour races and rallies on the Old Continent.

In relation to the Diamond League, she has to win that one by running under one minute 57 seconds in the 800. As for the possibility of her being part of the Cuban relay, now there are more possibilities because there is a mixed relay as well and she has scored 51 second flyers. So that I can demonstrate that time we have planned a 400 meter race. She has the conditions.

Your opinion of Cuban athletics?

Girl, I think it's good. The talent of the Cuban athlete, in any specialty, is great. Although the Cuban system is cracked and the pyramid is more destroyed than those of ancient Egypt, there are still places where you dig and athletes come out. Not like in the 80s, 90s until 2000.

So many desertions, so many Cubans competing for many countries: Spain, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Italy... It is something sad but understandable because what future they are going to have here!

In the case of athletics, a total transformation is needed, without looking back, radical, without steps, no! Look at the triple jump. If after baseball one could look for another specialty whose greatest potential is not in Cuba, it would be the triple jump. I maintain excellent connections with everyone.

An event as distinguished in the world as the hurdles, after the departure of the prestigious Santiaguito Antúnez, has not found its way. The thing is that mentality cannot be changed, especially if you don't want to. And so I can talk to you about everything and in that everything you only see pieces of the glory that we once lived.

So far Sahily has remained silent. Both are waiting for the time to restart training.

I joined the national team in 2010 and left in 2016, after the Rio Olympics. I was away for four years until I arrived in Guatemala in 2019 and met Frank again. I am a Guatemalan permanent resident. I am very calm, I live in my husband's house with his family.

What goals do you have, now at 28 years old?

You know that I have a very good personal best, 1, 57, 74 and we are fighting to try to reach it and improve it, why not? If this were achieved, many doors would open, from direct qualification to the World Cup and the Olympic Games to being able to race in the Diamond.

And as for regional and continental events?

In the Central American and Caribbean Games, I was on the podium and in the Pan American Games, I was in the final and I was able to compete for a good position.

And in the World Cup?

Phew! Those are big words but dreaming costs nothing; first, fight in the 800 and then be able to integrate the Cuban long post.

I met you here at the Pan American Stadium and you have always been a very grateful athlete for your coaches. What is Frank Ayala to you?

More than a father. But I don't want to stop telling you that previously I owe a lot to Chino, Cholo, Tomy, Javá and Paputy, all trainers who have had to do with me and I won't forget them hahahahaha.

Saying Frank Ayala is saying my family, my best friend; With him I have experienced good, average and worse times and I consider that if I am so motivated it is because of his selfless help. I consider him a great technician, always supporting me from near or far.

In addition to being happily married and returning to practicing what you love, how are you doing in Guatemala?

Very good, my husband's family loves me, takes care of me. I studied here at the University and I already have a degree in Sports. I am super grateful to friends and family, to Frank, his family and to Yipsi who helped me a lot at the time.

I want to thank the team that supports me in my preparation: my physio Marcela, Dr. Diego, the people at Puma, Pascal, Clement, Darío who support me so much.

Frank, I wouldn't want to conclude without you telling me about your best results with Guatemalan athletes.

I qualified the marathoner Luis Carlos Rivero for the 2017 London World Cup and that same year we broke the records of the Central American Games of the Isthmus that were held in Nicaragua by the long hurdler Gerber Blanco and at the moment I have the best middle distance runner in the country, Viviana Aroche, who It has the national records in 800, 1500 and 5000 and in this last distance the regional record.

And I always tell you something: I am happy to grow the middle distance in this beautiful country that has welcomed me like a son but I would love for Sahily to be able to give medals to Cuba; We are all Cubans and although they don't recognize it, I know that her triumphs are hers and mine. I hope you interview me again after my disciple concludes a satisfactory 2023 to the joy of our Green Cayman.