Olympic 110m hurdles champion roots for Rio 2016
Cuban Dayron Robles believes the Games would benefit sport throughout Latin America
Photo: Getty Images
Gold medal-winner in the 110m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Dayron Robles showed his enthusiasm for Rio de Janeiros bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. According to the Cuban 22 year old, holding the worlds greatest sports event in Rio would be important for the whole of Latin America.
Today Robles competed in the semi-final of the 110m hurdles at Berlins Olympic Stadium. He did not manage to qualify for the finals due to an injury, but he said he is already looking forward to the challenge of winning his second Olympic gold in London in 2012. In 2016, he would like to repeat his triumph at the Rio 2007 Pan American Games, when he won gold at João Havelange Stadium. It would be great to have the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It would be good for Latin America. I hope it happens. I had a great time there during the Pan American Games, which was a very important event for Cubans, Robles told a sports website.
As well as being an Olympic champion, Dayron Robles is the current world record-holder for the 110m hurdles. He completed the race in 12s87 at the Ostrava Grand Prix in the Czech Republic in 2008.
