On the eve of the World Cup finals in Budapest, Spain stood closer than ever to a podium finish at the National Athletic Centre. The central figure, Adri Ben, was within eight percent of securing bronze in the 800 meters, a breakthrough moment for Spanish track and field.
Relating to
- As the march concluded, Coe appeared in Plaza de los Héroes, signaling the dramatic pace of the meet.
- Two 4×400 events and a KO round sparked calls for the man who kept the narrative alive.
For only the third time in history, a Spanish athlete found a way into the World Cup final, a two-round track spectacle that tested every finalist. A Galician star featured prominently in two of those rounds, securing a historic sixth place in Doha in 2019. The earliest precedent traces back to Tokio in 1991, when Tomás de Teresa from Cantabria finished eighth.
Katir and Ben, the last two blank bullets
David Rubio
This moment represented a fresh endorsement for one of Spain’s best current athletes. It marked a turning point that many had doubted four years earlier, when the runner finished fifth at the Tokyo Games and seemed unlikely to climb higher on the global stage.
The final promised to be a fair test in what was widely considered the most competitive event of the meet, with eight finalists chasing medals. The opening 200 meters ran slower than expected, and the finish line recorded a time of 52.68 seconds, two seconds slower than the semi finals.
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Ben stayed with the leading pack, staying within contact as the race unfolded. The Galician countered in the final 100 meters but could not regain his position. He pushed forward in the last 30 meters but finished in fourth place after a late surge that fell short of the podium.
The European indoor champion achieved his strongest result at a universal competition, finishing just eight percent behind England’s Ben Pattison with a time of 1:44.91. The marks were led by Canadian favorite Marco Arop, who clocked 1:44.24, and Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi, at 1:44.53.