# 1996 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics

The 1996 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics (Spanish: VII Campeonato Iberoamericano de Atletismo) was the seventh edition of the international athletics competition between Ibero-American nations which was held at the Estadio Alfonso Galvis Duque in Medellín, Colombia from 9–12 May.
The competition was held at an altitude of 1480 metres above sea level, which served to raise performances in most athletic events, bar the long-distance running contests. Eleven championships records were improved during the three-day competition which comprised 42 events; there were 22 men's events and 20 women's events (with equal programmes bar the men's steeplechase and pole vault). Two national records were broken at the event: Costa Rica's Alex Foster beat the 110 metres hurdles record, while decathlon runner-up Alejandro Cárdenas set a Mexican record of 7614 points.
Cuba sent a full strength delegation and won almost half the events, taking twenty golds and 41 medals overall. Cuban gold medallists included high jumper Javier Sotomayor, 800 metres runners Ana Fidelia Quirot and Norberto Téllez, and hurdler Anier García. Boosted by the absence of Spain, Brazil came second in the medal tally, winning 31 medals in total – eight of which were gold. The hosts Colombia performed well in the long-distance events and women's sprints and ended the competition third overall with six golds in their haul of twenty medals.
Chile's Sebastián Keitel was one of the foremost athletes at the event as he claimed a 100/200 metres double against Brazilian and Cuban opposition. His compatriot Gert Weil won the fifth Ibero-American gold medal in the shot put. María Eugenia Villamizar of Colombia won her second straight hammer throw title in a championship record. Her team mate Felipa Palacios broke the women's 200 m record with her winning time of 22.93 seconds.
The other record breakers were principally Cuban: Yamilé Aldama improved the triple jump mark, Alberto Manzano set a new pole vault standard, while throwers Alberto Sánchez and Isbel Luaces beat the previous records in the hammer and javelin throw, respectively. The closest contest of the competition was the women's 400 metres as Julia Duporty edged Ximena Restrepo by three hundredths of a second. Restrepo later took the Colombian women to the gold in the 4×400 metres relay, while Duporty's Cuban team were disqualified.

## Medal summary
### Men

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Sebastián Keitel (CHI) | 10.13 | Arnaldo da Silva (BRA) | 10.17 | Marcelo Brivilatti (BRA) | 10.37 |
| 200 metres (Wind: −2.7 m/s) | Sebastián Keitel (CHI) | 20.53 | Marcelo Brivilatti (BRA) | 20.71 | Misael Ortíz (CUB) | 21.15 |
| 400 metres | Sanderlei Parrela (BRA) | 45.57 | Inaldo Sena (BRA) | 45.88 | Jorge Crusellas (CUB) | 46.25 |
| 800 metres | Norberto Téllez (CUB) | 1:45.83 CR | Flavio Godoy (BRA) | 1:47.11 | Mark Olivo (VEN) | 1:47.67 |
| 1500 metres | Edgar de Oliveira (BRA) | 3:43.00 | José Valente (BRA) | 3:43.81 | Gilberto Merchant (MEX) | 3:44.11 |
| 5000 metres | William Roldán (COL) | 14:16.20 | Herder Vásquez (COL) | 14:18.88 | Gerardo Morales (MEX) | 14:19.87 |
| 10,000 metres | Herder Vásquez (COL) | 30:08.35 | Jacinto López (COL) | 30:09.76 | Gerardo Morales (MEX) | 30:13.28 |
| 110 metres hurdles | Anier García (CUB) | 13.39 CR | Pedro Chiamulera (BRA) | 13.58 | Alexis Sánchez (CUB) | 13.89 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Alexis Sánchez (CUB) | 49.22 | Carlos Silva (POR) | 49.33 | Domingo Cordero (PUR) | 49.64 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Clodoaldo do Carmo (BRA) | 8:47.18 | Héctor Arias (MEX) | 8:54.64 | Eduardo do Nascimento (BRA) | 8:57.46 |
| 4×100 metres relay | Mexico (MEX) Carlos Villaseñor Alejandro Cárdenas Raymundo Escalante Miguel Miranda | 39.60 | Puerto Rico (PUR) Carlos Santos Agner Muñoz Rosendo Rivera Domingo Cordero | 39.93 | Argentina (ARG) Jorge Polanco Guillermo Cacián Ceferino Mondino Carlos Gats | 40.33 |
| 4×400 metres relay | Cuba (CUB) Omar Meña Jorge Crusellas Georkis Vera Norberto Téllez | 3:03.98 | Brazil (BRA) Valdinei da Silva Sanderlei Parrela Osmar dos Santos Inaldo Sena | 3:04.28 | Colombia (COL) Julio César Rojas Llimi Rivas Wenceslao Ferrín Wilson Cañizales | 3:07.13 |
| 20 km track walk | Jorge Segura (MEX) | 1:25:25.21 | Germán Sánchez (MEX) | 1:26:30 | Héctor Moreno (COL) | 1:26:54 |
| High jump | Javier Sotomayor (CUB) | 2.30 m | Gilmar Mayo (COL) | 2.23 m | Marcos dos Santos (BRA) Julio Luciano (DOM) | 2.10 m |
| Pole vault | Alberto Manzano (CUB) | 5.55 m CR | Edgar Díaz (PUR) | 5.50 m | Miguel Saldarriaga (COL) | 5.00 m |
| Long jump | Nelson Ferreira (BRA) | 8.41 m (w) | Jaime Jefferson (CUB) | 8.28 m (w) | Carlos Calado (POR) | 8.06 m |
| Triple jump | Messias José Baptista (BRA) | 16.99 m CR | Carlos Calado (POR) | 16.82 m | Osiris Mora (CUB) | 16.45 m |
| Shot put | Gert Weil (CHI) | 19.67 m | Yojer Medina (VEN) | 18.10 m | Édson Miguel (BRA) | 17.21 m |
| Discus throw | Frank Bicet (CUB) | 58.12 m | João dos Santos (BRA) | 55.32 m | Marcelo Pugliese (ARG) | 54.32 m |
| Hammer throw | Alberto Sánchez (CUB) | 73.62 m CR | Yosvany Suárez (CUB) | 70.54 m | Vítor Costa (POR) | 69.84 m |
| Javelin throw | Isbel Luaces (CUB) | 78.74 m CR | Rodrigo Zelaya (CHI) | 74.22 m | Edgar Baumann (PAR) | 73.94 m |
| Decathlon | Yonelvis Águila (CUB) | 7705 pts | Alejandro Cárdenas (MEX) | 7614 pts | William Gallardo (CUB) | 7544 pts |

### Women

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Cleide Amaral (BRA) | 11.48 | Zandra Borrero (COL) | 11.50 | Idalia Hechevarría (CUB) | 11.54 |
| 200 metres | Felipa Palacios (COL) | 22.93 CR | Idalmis Bonne (CUB) | 23.07 | Surella Morales (CUB) | 23.11 |
| 400 metres | Julia Duporty (CUB) | 50.84 | Ximena Restrepo (COL) | 50.87 | Maria Figueirêdo (BRA) | 51.36 |
| 800 metres | Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB) | 2:02.50 | Mairelín Fuentes (CUB) | 2:04.77 | Marta Orellana (ARG) | 2:04.81 |
| 1500 metres | Marta Orellana (ARG) | 4:20.99 | Yesenia Centeno (CUB) | 4:22.30 | Célia dos Santos (BRA) | 4:25.98 |
| 5000 metres | Erika Olivera (CHI) | 16:26.13 CR | Stella Castro (COL) | 16:35.34 | Iglandini González (COL) | 16:37.97 |
| 10,000 metres | Stella Castro (COL) | 34:27.74 | Santa Velázquez (MEX) | 34:29.95 | Erika Olivera (CHI) | 34:41.75 |
| 100 metres hurdles (Wind: +3.0 m/s) | Joyce Meléndez (PUR) | 13.41 | Damaris Anderson (CUB) | 13.54 | Katia Brito (CUB) | 13.57 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Lency Montelier (CUB) | 57.84 | Odalys Hernández (CUB) | 57.96 | Flor Robledo (COL) | 58.19 |
| 4×100 metres relay | Cuba (CUB) Idalia Hechevarría Damaris Anderson Dainelky Pérez Liliana Allen | 44.11 CR | Colombia (COL) Mirtha Brock Felipa Palacios Patricia Rodríguez Sandra Borrero | 44.17 | Brazil (BRA) Cleide Amaral Maria Figueiredo Lucimar de Moura Kátia de Jesus Santos | 44.59 |
| 4×400 metres relay | Colombia (COL) Patricia Rodríguez Norfalia Carabalí Flor Robledo Ximena Restrepo | 3:33.69 | Brazil (BRA) Maria Figueiredo Fátima dos Santos Marlene da Silva Luciana de Paula Mendes | 3:34.34 | Mexico (MEX) Ana Guevara Alejandra Quintanar Claudia Moctezuma Mayra González | 3:38.48 |
| 10 km track walk | Gianetti Bonfim (BRA) | 48:15.67 | Abigail Sáenz (MEX) | 48:38.04 | Geovana Irusta (BOL) | 48:56.22 |
| High jump | Orlane dos Santos (BRA) | 1.86 m | Niurka Lussón (CUB) | 1.83 m | Juana Arrendel (DOM) Alejandra García (ARG) | 1.83 m |
| Long jump | Lissete Cuza (CUB) | 6.57 m | Maurren Maggi (BRA) | 6.26 m | Luciana dos Santos (BRA) | 6.24 m |
| Triple jump | Yamilé Aldama (CUB) | 14.39 m CR | Magdelín Martínez (CUB) | 14.17 m (w) | Maria de Souza (BRA) | 13.49 m (w) |
| Shot put | Herminia Fernández (CUB) | 18.05 m | Elisângela Adriano (BRA) | 17.90 m | Alexandra Amaro (BRA) | 15.60 m |
| Discus throw | Olga Gómez (CUB) | 58.48 m | Elisângela Adriano (BRA) | 57.10 m | Marlén Sánchez (CUB) | 55.50 m |
| Hammer throw | María Eugenia Villamizar (COL) | 57.76 m CR | Norbi Balantén (CUB) | 53.80 m | Amarilis Mesa (CUB) | 52.50 m |
| Javelin throw (Old javelin model) | Sonia Bisset (CUB) | 64.54 m | Odelmys Palma (CUB) | 63.32 m | Zuleima Araméndiz (COL) | 56.24 m |
| Heptathlon | Osiris Pedroso (CUB) | 5715 pts (w) | Euzinete dos Reis (BRA) | 5495 pts | Zorobabelia Córdoba (COL) | 5165 pts |

## Medal table

* Host nation (Colombia)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Cuba (CUB) | 20 | 11 | 10 | 41 |
| 2 | Brazil (BRA) | 8 | 13 | 10 | 31 |
| 3 | Colombia (COL)* | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 4 | Chile (CHI) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Mexico (MEX) | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Argentina (ARG) | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | Portugal (POR) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Venezuela (VEN) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Dominican Republic (DOM) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | Bolivia (BOL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Paraguay (PAR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (12 entries) | Totals (12 entries) | 42 | 42 | 44 | 128 |
* $^†$Note: The medal count from the 2010 Ibero-American Championships report is incorrect as it did not include the shared high jump bronze medals of the Dominican Republic's Juana Arrendel and Marcos dos Santos of Brazil.

## Participation

Out of the 23 members of the Asociación Iberoamericana de Atletismo at that point in time, 19 nations sent delegations to the championships. The most notable absences were Spain and Uruguay. Despite the fact that the competition was held in the Americas, Nicaragua and Honduras did not send teams.
* Angola (1)
* Argentina (22)
* Bolivia (5)
* Brazil (60)
* Chile (10)
* Colombia (56)
* Costa Rica (9)
* Cuba (65)
* Dominican Republic (9)
* Ecuador (2)
* Guatemala (9)
* Mexico (37)
* Panama (2)
* Paraguay (1)
* Peru (7)
* Portugal (10)
* Puerto Rico (25)
* El Salvador (1)
* Venezuela (8)