Spanish athletics enjoyed a memorable Saturday as Quique Llopis claimed the silver medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Poland. This marks the second medal for Spain at the event, following the mixed 4x400m relay team’s earlier success.
Llopis, 25, had previously finished fourth at the Paris Olympics and fourth at the outdoor World Championships in Tokyo — leaving him frustrated with near-misses. Throughout the winter, he dedicated himself to training and refining his technique with every available resource. Finally, his perseverance paid off with the coveted podium finish.
In a final dominated by Poland’s Jakub Szymanski, who won gold with a time of 7.40 seconds, Llopis crossed the line second in 7.42 seconds — a new Spanish national record. The bronze medal went to American Trey Cunningham (7.43), one of the pre-race favorites.
This silver medal adds to Llopis’s previous international highlight: a silver in the 110m hurdles at the European Championships in Rome. Earlier on Saturday, Spain’s other hope in the event, Asier Martínez, was eliminated in the semifinals with a time of 7.62, failing to reach the eight-man final.