The Nerja team secured two second places on the final day of the 106th National Championship of Spain, held at the Estadio Ciudad de Málaga. Una Stancev in high jump and the women's 4x400 relay were the ones who took to the podium.
The Trops-Cueva de Nerja capped off their participation in the 106th National Athletics Championship, which took place this weekend at the Estadio Ciudad de Málaga. The Málaga team added two second places on the closing day, confirming the good moment of the club in the national scene.
The first medal came from Una Stancev in the women's high jump. The athlete, from Granada but part of the Costa del Sol club, took silver with a mark of 1.81 meters, only surpassed by young promise Aitana Alonso (1.84), who at 17 years old secured her first absolute title. Stancev, who had achieved four consecutive golds in this event, saw her streak broken by the emergence of the FC Barcelona jumper.
The second silver medal came in the women's 4x400 relay. The Trops-Cueva de Nerja quartet stopped the clock at 3:36.04, only behind FACSA Playas de Castellón (3:33.32), who won with authority. The Málaga team managed to stay on the podium in a highly competitive final, demonstrating the depth of the club's talent pool.
The performance of the Nerja team was one of the positive notes for the local representation in a championship that brought together the best athletes in the country. The Estadio Ciudad de Málaga, which had already hosted the National Championship in 2023, was once again the scene of great marks and strong emotions, although the wind, present throughout the weekend, prevented records from being broken in several events.
On a national level, the day was marked by the dominance of established figures. Enrique Llopis took gold in the 110 meters hurdles with 13.43, his fourth consecutive title, ahead of Asier Martínez and Hugo Chapado. The Valencian, world runner-up in the 60 meters hurdles indoors, confirmed his excellent form ahead of the outdoor season.
Jaël-Sakura Bestué, for her part, achieved her fourth consecutive title in the 200 meters with a time of 22.57, the seventh of her career. The national record holder dominated the final without opposition, while the battle for silver was decided by photo finish between Alba Borrero and Esperança Cladera. In the men's event, the winner was Oriol Sánchez.
In the men's long jump, Jaime Guerra defended his gold with a jump of 8.14 meters, his third consecutive title. The jumper, who is seeking a spot for the European Championship in Birmingham (from August 10 to 16), surpassed veteran Eusebio Cáceres (8.11) and Lester Lescay (8.05). The fight for the European minimum marks added tension to a high-level final.
In the 800 meters, David Barroso claimed his first absolute title by winning by milliseconds against Mohamed Attaoui, who despite arriving with physical doubts made a comeback in the final stretch. In the women's category, Rocío Arroyo defended her gold after a beautiful battle with Marta Mitjans and Lorea Ibarzabal.
In throws, Belén Toimil extended her dominance in the women's shot put with her seventh consecutive title, following in the footsteps of the historic Úrsula Ruiz (12) and Margarita Ramos (9). Manu Quijera led the javelin from the first throw to win with 76.41 meters, in the eighth double win with his brother Nicolás Quijera, who came second.
In the men's pole vault, young Aragonese Fabio Marco, 20 years old, won his first absolute title in an event that had been postponed on Friday due to strong winds. Equality was the tone in all the finals of the day, with several champions decided by centimeters or hundredths.
For Trops-Cueva de Nerja, these two silvers represent a morale boost ahead of upcoming commitments. The club, which competes in the top tier of Spanish athletics, continues to demonstrate that it is a breeding ground for talent and a reference in the province of Málaga. The Nerja fans, who travelled to the capital, were able to celebrate the successes of their athletes in a high-level championship.
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