1. Overview
Yunaika Crawford Rogert is a distinguished Cuban hammer thrower, born on November 2, 1982, in Marianao, La Habana. She is best known for her significant achievement of winning the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she also set her personal best throw of 240 ft (73.16 m). Her athletic career spans from her junior years in the late 1990s, where she earned multiple medals at international youth and junior championships, to a senior career marked by consistent performance in major global competitions including the World Championships and Pan American Games. This article details her biographical background, her competitive journey from a promising junior to an Olympic medalist, her personal records, and a comprehensive list of her major international results.
2. Biography and Early Life
Yunaika Crawford Rogert was born on November 2, 1982, in Marianao, a municipality within La Habana, Cuba. As an adult athlete, she stood 5.4 ft (1.64 m) tall and weighed 172 lb (78 kg). Her early life in Cuba led her to pursue athletics, specifically the hammer throw, where she quickly began to make an impact on the international stage from a young age.
3. Athletic Career
Yunaika Crawford's athletic career demonstrates a steady progression from her early international appearances as a junior to her significant achievements at the senior level, culminating in an Olympic medal.
3.1. Junior Career
Crawford made her international debut at the age of sixteen, participating in the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics held in Annecy, France. She placed ninth in the hammer throw event, having achieved a season's best of 187 ft (57.03 m) in the qualifying round. The following year, in 1999, she secured a silver medal at the inaugural 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics in Bydgoszcz, Poland, with a throw of 189 ft (57.56 m). Earlier that year, in March, she had already set a personal best of 206 ft (62.71 m) in Havana.
In March 2000, Crawford further improved her performance, reaching 216 ft (65.88 m) in Las Tunas. She continued her success at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Santiago de Chile, Chile, where she earned a bronze medal in the hammer throw. This marked the second time the women's hammer throw was included in these championships. In her final junior season in 2001, Crawford achieved significant victories. She won the 2001 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in Santa Fe, Argentina, setting a new championship record of 207 ft (63.2 m). Additionally, she claimed gold at the 2001 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics in Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, with another championship record throw of 193 ft (58.68 m) (A), a mark affected by altitude. Her season's best in 2001 was 215 ft (65.67 m), achieved in Santiago de Cuba in July.
3.2. Senior Career
Crawford transitioned to the senior level in 2002, breaking the 230 ft (70 m) barrier for the first time with a throw of 232 ft (70.62 m) at a competition in Madrid, Spain, in July. In May 2003, she slightly improved this mark to 232 ft (70.69 m) in Havana. That year, she secured a silver medal at the Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, finishing behind her compatriot Yipsi Moreno. Crawford also competed at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Saint-Denis, France, but her throw of 212 ft (64.59 m) in the qualifying round was not enough to advance to the final.
The year 2004 marked a pinnacle in Crawford's career. She consistently surpassed her previous best results, starting the season with a throw of 235 ft (71.62 m) in Havana in March. She recorded further impressive throws, including 231 ft (70.44 m) in Seville, 235 ft (71.75 m) in Guadalajara, 234 ft (71.4 m) in Padova, and 231 ft (70.33 m) in Kazan. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, she advanced to the final with a qualifying throw of 235 ft (71.74 m). In the final, she achieved a career-best throw of 240 ft (73.16 m), which earned her the Olympic bronze medal. She finished behind Olga Kuzenkova of Russia (gold) and Yipsi Moreno (silver).
In 2005, Crawford's season's best was 227 ft (69.3 m), achieved in Havana in March. She competed at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland, but with a throw of only 209 ft (63.79 m), she did not qualify for the final. Despite this, she won a silver medal at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics in Nassau, Bahamas, finishing behind Candice Scott of Trinidad and Tobago. The following year, in 2006, her season's best throw was 236 ft (71.92 m). Although there were no major global championships that year, she earned another silver medal at the Athletics at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia, once again behind Yipsi Moreno.
In 2007, Crawford returned to an international final at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan. However, in the final round, she finished twelfth and last, with two throws in the 220 ft (67 m) range. Her participation in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, saw her finish 31st in the qualifying round, failing to reach the final. In 2009, she won gold at the Athletics at the 2009 ALBA Games in La Habana, Cuba, with a throw of 232 ft (70.66 m). Her last recorded major international competition was the 2012 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where she placed fourth with a throw of 217 ft (66.25 m).
4. Personal Bests
- Hammer throw: 240 ft (73.16 m) - Beijing, China, August 25, 2004
5. Major International Results
Yunaika Crawford's notable achievements and medal placements in significant international competitions are listed below:
| Year | Competition | Venue | Place | Event | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ibero-American Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 5th | Hammer throw | 183 ft (55.8 m) |
| 1998 | World Junior Championships | Annecy, France | 9th | Hammer throw | 184 ft (56.01 m) |
| 1999 | World Youth Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | Silver | Hammer throw | 189 ft (57.56 m) |
| 2000 | World Junior Championships | Santiago de Chile, Chile | Bronze | Hammer throw | 197 ft (59.98 m) |
| 2001 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Guatemala City, Guatemala | Gold | Hammer throw | 193 ft (58.68 m) (A) |
| 2001 | Pan American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | Gold | Hammer throw | 207 ft (63.2 m) |
| 2003 | Pan American Games | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Silver | Hammer throw | 228 ft (69.57 m) |
| 2003 | World Championships | Saint-Denis, France | 9th (q) | Hammer throw | 212 ft (64.59 m) |
| 2004 | Ibero-American Championships | Huelva, Spain | Silver | Hammer throw | 231 ft (70.28 m) |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | Bronze | Hammer throw | 240 ft (73.16 m) |
| 2005 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Nassau, Bahamas | Silver | Hammer throw | 219 ft (66.75 m) |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 13th (q) | Hammer throw | 209 ft (63.79 m) |
| 2006 | Central American Games | Cartagena, Colombia | Silver | Hammer throw | 223 ft (67.88 m) |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 11th | Hammer throw | 222 ft (67.56 m) |
| 2008 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Cali, Colombia | Silver | Hammer throw | 226 ft (69.03 m) (A) |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 31st (q) | Hammer throw | 217 ft (66.16 m) |
| 2009 | ALBA Games | Havana, Cuba | Gold | Hammer throw | 232 ft (70.66 m) |
| 2012 | Ibero-American Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 4th | Hammer throw | 217 ft (66.25 m) |