by Larry Eder
Mariano Garcia takes the Men’s 800m!
Mariano Garcia is a fierce competitor. He is also quite mellow, in other situations, such as dinner, chatting with friends, and speaking with his manager, Miguel Martinez.
Mariano Garcia has one of the most brutal kicks I have seen from a European middle-distance runner, and one of the toughest changes of speed from Spanish middle-distance royalty. I am talking about Reyes Estevez and Fermin Cacho, two guys who could run a 50-point last lap off a standing start. Cacho’s surprise win in 1992 over Nouredinne Morcelli, still one of the finest finishes in Olympic history, was a 50.8 last lap that totally domesticated one of the finest 1,500m fields in history. That Cacho was a 400m kid at the European juniors a few years before that should have been a clue.
Boston Massachusetts, USA
February 3, 2023
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris
Mariano Garcia knows how to kick. He won the 800m at the World Indoors in Belgrade in 2022 in brutal fashion. He had played his cards at the 2022 NB Indoor GP, held at Ocean Breeze, with this long, long kick to the win, surprising many on the track and most fans on the field.
Mariano had a poor showing at the World Championships at 800m, but came back and won the European Champs 800 meters from Jake Wightman, who had taken two medals that summer at 1,500 meters and had tough speed at the 800 meters.
In Boston, on his sponsor’s track, Mariano Garcia kept his cool, and went to the lead just after the 200 meters, with Isaiah Jewett, Mark English, and Bryce Hoppel in tow.
Mariano Garcia used a gruesome kick over the last 200 meters to take the win, as Isaiah Jewett ran a pb over the 800m to take second and Mark English, took third, ahead of Bryce Hoppel.
Garcia looks poised for the European Indoors in Istanbul, Turkey from March 3-5, 2023.
But for this weekend, the Spanish runner knows that he has made his sponsor, New Balance, very happy, as he cruised to a big win at their first big meet at THE TRACK at New Balance.
Mariano Garcia was a little nervous in his post-race notes, ” The new track is very fast, ” noted Mariano, obviously quite happy after his race. “My best last year (1:45.12) and My best this year (1:45.26) are very close…”
The following short interview was done by World Athletics after Senor Garcia’s victory in Boston:
Watch the European Outdoor champ and World Indoor champ compete at the European Indoors this March!
