Dayron Robles interviewed in London 2009
DAYRON ROBLES, the Olympic 110 hurdles Champion and World Record Holder of 2008 talks to Alastair Aitken, on the 23rd of July, just before the Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.The interpreter was FELIX SANCHEZ the 400m Olympic gold medallist of 2004.
Dayron Robles was born on the 19th of November 1986 at Guantanamo , Cuba.
When did Dayron first start in athletics
" He was 10 years old. When he initially started, it was more a motivation in track and field sports as sport itself was big in Cuba and, athletics came very easy to him.'"
When did he feel he was getting somewhere in athletics.
" He was in a Cuban athletics meeting and when he was 14 years of age. He knew then as he won by a big margin in an event he was going to be something special in."
When did his breakthrough come in the 110 hurdles
" When he was 17 was the first time he went to the capital Havana. he ran the National Championships with the best Cubans. It was then that was when he realised that he would be able to be a force in athletics."
Having gone to Cuba and enjoyed the rum, sunshine, cigars, history and the music. I wondered if he liked the rhythmic music of Cuba
"He likes walking down the Malecon in Central Strip of Havana and he loves to listen to music."
What race stood out for him before the Olympics
"In Paris (At Saint-Denis on the 18th of July he did 12.88) He loved the way technically the race went. He ran very, very good that day."
In the Olympic Games Final he won in 12.93 from David Payne (13.17) and David Oliver (13.18). How did he look back on that
" It was probably the best competition as far as memory goes for him to win an Olympic Games especially as there were so many other Olympic Champions from Cuba and, being able to win in China was something as it was pretty much in Liu Xiang's home.A great accomplishment"
How about his World record of 12.87 at Ostrava on the 12th of June. How did he see that fitting into the scheme of things
" He did not feel anything special was going to happen that day. He had previously come off a 13.20 race real relaxed and yet had great training up to Ostrava and, when he got into the race he said he knew something special was going to happen that day. Terrence Trammell always starts very fast and around 6 or 7 he felt he was pulling away from Trammell and he just said that he tried to stay composed and run through the line. He leaned and he looked at the clock, he could not believe it and just went crazy!"