Eduar Villanueva

For the Filipino politician, see Eddie Villanueva.
Eduar Villanueva

Villanueva at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name Eduar Antonio Villanueva
Born 29 December 1984
Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
Country  Venezuela
Sport Track
Event(s) 800 metres, 1500 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 800 metres: 1:46.33[1]
1500 metres: 3:36.96[1]
Updated on 19 June 2013.

Eduar Antonio Villanueva (born 29 December 1984) is a Venezuelan middle distance runner.[2] He represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics and has participated in the World Championships in Athletics on three consecutive occasions (2007, 2009, 2011). In 2011 he had the best ever performance by a Venezuelan runner at the World Championships, coming sixth in the 1500 metres. He set a Venezuelan record of 3:36.96 minutes in the semi-final.

In regional competition, Villanueva is a two-time bronze medallist at the South American Championships in Athletics and has won a gold medal at both the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Central American and Caribbean Championships. He was a participant at the 2007 Pan American Games.

Running career

Born in Barquisimeto, Lara, he won his first international medal at the 2004 South American Under-23 Championships held in his hometown, where he took the 5000 metres bronze medal.[3] He ran in the 1500 metres at the 2005 Bolivarian Games and set a personal best of 3:46.32 minutes, finishing in fourth place.[4]

The 2006 season saw him establish himself as a senior athlete. He was third in the 800 metres at the 2006 Ibero-American Championships,[5] won his first national title over 1500 m, and represented Venezuela at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. At the Games he ran two personal bests: 1:48.21 min for fifth in the 800 m and 3:44.27 min for fourth in the 1500 m. He came fifth in the 800 m in his senior continental debut at the 2006 South American Championships in Athletics.[4] He won two medals at the 2006 South American Under-23 event, winning the 1500 m and coming a close second to Brazil's Kléberson Davide in the shorter race.[6]

At the 2007 South American Championships in Athletics he won his first medal on the continental stage, securing the bronze medal behind Byron Piedra and Leandro de Oliveira.[7] Villanueva was chosen to run for his nation at the 2007 Pan American Games and came sixth in the 1500 m with a personal best of 3:41.74 min and ended the competition by running an 800 m best of 1:48.05 min in the heats of that event.[8] He gained selection for the Venezuelan team at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics held the following month and he improved his 800 m best further by running a time of 1:46.33 min in the heats.[9]

In 2008 Villanueva made his global indoor debut at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships and also ran at the Olympics for the first time, competing in the heats of the 800 m at the 2008 Beijing Games.[9] He was the 800 m silver medallist at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships, finishing behind Cuba's Andy González.[10] At the World Military Track and Field Championships in June 2009, he came fourth in the 1500 m. Villanueva won a consecutive 1500 m bronze at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics, but was the gold medallist in the event at the 2009 CAC Championships.[11][12] He was selected to run the 800 m at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics (although he had focused on the longer distance regionally) and was eliminated in the first round.[9]

Villanueva was runner-up to Spain's David Bustos in the 1500 m at the 2010 Ibero-American Championships.[13] He broke José López's 14-year-old Venezuelan record in the 1500 m with a run of 3:38.96 min in Barakaldo.[4] The 2010 CAC Games saw him beat Moise Joseph to the 800 m gold medal and finish with a silver medal in the 1500 m behind Juan Luis Barrios.[14]

He focused more on the 1500 m in 2011 and spent much of the season based in Spain with his coach Mariano Gonzalo. Villanueva improved his 1500 m national record to 3:38.29 minutes at a meeting in Barcelona in July 2011 and gained selection for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea. At the competition, he qualified for the 1500 m final by running a personal best of 3:36.96 min in the semi-finals. In the final he finished in eighth place, which was the best ever performance by a Venezuelan track runner at the world championships (improving upon William Wuycke's run in 1987).[15]

Personal bests

Outdoor

Indoor

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Venezuela
2004 South American Under-23 Championships Barquisimeto, Venezuela 3rd 5000 m 15:52.40 min
2005 Bolivarian Games Armenia, Colombia 4th 1500 m 3:46.32 min A
2006 Ibero-American Championships Ponce, Puerto Rico 3rd 800 m 1:48.31 min
6th 1500 m 3:48.72 min
Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena, Colombia 5th 800 m 1:48.21 min
4th 1500 m 3:44.27 min
South American Championships Tunja, Colombia 5th 800 m 1:52.91 min A
South American Under-23 Championships /
South American Games		 Buenos Aires, Argentina 2nd 800 m 1:51.24 min
1st 1500 m 3:51.54 min
2007 ALBA Games Caracas, Venezuela 3rd 1500 m 3:46.22 min
South American Championships São Paulo, Brazil 3rd 1500 m 3:43.40 min
Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8th (h) 800 m 1:48.05 min
6th 1500 m 3:41.74 min
World Championships Osaka, Japan 6th (h) 800 m 1:46.33 min
2008 World Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 15th (h) 800 m 1:51.83 min
Ibero-American Championships Iquique, Chile 6th 800 m 1:49.84 min
5th 1500 m 3:43.59 min
Central American and Caribbean Championships Cali, Colombia 2nd 800 m 1:46.92 min A
Olympic Games Beijing, China 6th (h) 800 m 1:47.64 min
2009 ALBA Games La Habana, Cuba 3rd 800 m 1:48.01 min
3rd 1500 m 3:45.47 min
World Military Championships Sofia, Bulgaria 4th (h) 800 m 1:50.99 min
4th 1500 m 3:46.14 min
South American Championships Lima, Perú 3rd 1500 m 3:43.23
Central American and Caribbean Championships La Habana, Cuba 1st 1500 m 3:42.23 min
World Championships Berlin, Germany 6th (h) 800 m 1:48.61
2010 Ibero-American Championships San Fernando, Spain 2nd 1500 m 3:43.72 min
Central American and Caribbean Games Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 1st 800 m 1:47.73 min
2nd 1500 m 3:45.04 min
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 8th 1500 m 3:37.31 min
Pan American Games Guadalajara, México 3rd 1500 m 3:54.06 min
2012 Ibero-American Championships Barquisimeto, Venezuela 5th 1500 m 3:49.17 min
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 11th (h) 1500 m 3:43.11 min

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 All-Athletics. "Profile of Eduard Villanueva".
  2. ↑ Eduard Villanueva. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  3. ↑ South American Under-23 Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Eduardo Villanueva. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  5. ↑ Ibero-American Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  6. ↑ Biscayart, Eduardo (2006-11-13). Brazil best at South American U-23. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  7. ↑ Biscayart, Eduardo (2007-06-10). 14.57 Area Triple Jump Record for Costa as South American Champs finish. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  8. ↑ 2007 Pan American Games results. Rio2007. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Villanueva Eduar. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  10. ↑ Biscayart, Eduardo (2008-07-07). Cuba takes overall title in Cali; last day of CAC Champs beset by torrential rains. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  11. ↑ Biscayart, Eduardo (2009-06-20). Murer vaults 4.60m at South American Championships – Day 1 report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  12. ↑ Clavelo Robinson, Javier (2009-07-05). Suarez tallies World leading 8654 points in Decathlon - CAC Champs Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  13. ↑ Valiente, Emeterio (2010-06-07). Murer vaults 4.85m Area Record as Cuba and Spain dominate in San Fernando – Ibero-American Championships report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  14. ↑ Atletismo - VILLANUEVA Eduar (Spanish). Mayaguez2010. Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  15. ↑ Villanueva hace historia y clasifica en la final de 1.500 metros (Spanish). La Patilla (2011-09-01). Retrieved on 2011-09-10.

External links