World champion Fred Kerley is crowned at a star-studded Canarias Athletics Invitational

Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosted the inaugural edition of the second Canarias Athletics Invitational, a high-level track and field meet. This international meet, now promoted to the Silver category by World Athletics, brought together more than 110 athletes from over 40 countries, marking a milestone for track and field in the Canary Islands. The event’s elevated status was reflected both in the athletes’ performances and in the massive crowd that filled the stands.

The event kicked off with the children’s races, a key element in continuing to promote this sport among the youngest participants and encouraging them to follow in the footsteps of the great athletes who later competed on the same track as them. Without a doubt, the event brought together an unparalleled lineup of athletes.

The meet was also a spectacle for the audience, who responded enthusiastically by filling the stands and creating an unbeatable atmosphere. The facilities at Tenerife’s Centro Insular de Atletismo e Tíncer buzzed with excitement during every event, from the javelin throw and long jump—which kicked off the program— to the thrilling track finals that closed out the day under the watchful eyes and applause of the crowd.

The event kicked off with the men’s long jump, which was a very close contest; in the end, Poland’s Piotr Tarkowski set the best mark of 7.98 meters. He was followed by Uruguay’s Emiliano Lasa (7.86 m) and China’s Peiki Gao (7.84 m). Next up was the women’s javelin throw, which featured a thrilling duel between Austria’s Victoria Hudson (60.63 m) and Croatia’s Sara Kolak (58.78 m), with the former taking the victory and Britain’s Bekah Walton (57.86 m) finishing in third place.

The women’s 100-meter dash was a thrilling race, as the top three finishers crossed the finish line in a photo finish, with Portugal’s Gladimar Torres taking first place with a time of 11.37, followed very closely by Spain’s Jaël Sakura Bestué (11.40) and the Netherlands’ Minke Bisschops (11.41), who finished second and third, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, the American Destiny Huven dominated the race, clocking a time of 13.05, followed closely by Italy’s Elena Carraro (13.08) and Paola Vázquez of Puerto Rico (13.12).

The women’s 800-meter race was also a thrilling event, as the top finishers crossed the finish line within just one second of each other. The strongest performer was France’s Maeliss Trapeau, who clocked a time of 2:00.98—a personal best—which secured her the victory. Close behind were Spain’s Daniela García (2:01.84) and Marta Mitjans, who not only set a personal best and finished third with a time of 2:02.29 but also broke the Spanish U20 record previously held by Natalia Rodríguez (2:02.78) since 1998.

The women’s triple jump was dominated by Denmark’s Janne Nielsen, who, after setting a personal best of 14.13, also finished first in the meet and set a new national record. Nielsen was followed closely by the Czech athlete Linda Suchá, who also set a personal best of 13.86, but it wasn’t enough to take the top spot. In third place, with a jump of 13.81, was the Ukrainian Maria Siney.

Lithuanian Martynas Alekna clearly dominated the men’s discus throw, setting a mark of 64.67 meters on his fourth attempt. The Lithuanian discus thrower’s main rival was Ecuador’s Juan José Caicedo, who achieved his best mark of 63.35 meters on his fourth attempt, but it wasn’t enough to beat Martynas. The third-best mark was set by Romania’s Alin Alexandru Firfirica (62.60 m). Also noteworthy was the performance of Yasiel Sotero from the Canary Islands, who finished in sixth place.

In the men’s 400-meter dash, the fastest runner was Oleksandr Pohorilko of Ukraine, with a time of 45.31, followed by Portugal’s Omar Elkhatib and the United States’ Will London, who were unable to beat him with times of 46.19 and 46.89, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, the leader was Gianna Wooddruff of Panama, who completed the race in 54.67. Close behind were Belgium’s Naomi Van den Broeck (55.15) and Barbados’ Tia Adana Belle (55.18). Also noteworthy was the progress made by Spain’s Daniela Fra Palmer, who set a personal best (55.52), which earned her fourth place.

In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Turkey’s Ismail Nezir came out on top with a time of 49.07, followed by the American Khallifah Rosser (49.21) and local star Jesús David Delgado (50.07), who finished in third place, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd as he crossed the finish line.

Meanwhile, the men’s 1,500 was strategically dominated by Mariano “La Moto” García from Murcia, who, with just a few meters to go, shifted into high gear and managed to clock a time of 3:37.21, finishing behind Portugal’s Nuno Pereira (3:37.37) and Spain’s Pol Oriach (3:37.76).

In the men’s 200-meter event, the highlight of the afternoon was provided by Olympic medalist and world champion Fred Kerley. The American, who sparked jubilation among the crowd, completed the explosive race with a time of 20.17, followed closely by his compatriot Brandon Hicklin at 20.45. In third place was Puerto Rican José Figueroa with a time of 20.69. Also noteworthy was the performance of Samuel García from La Palma, who finished sixth with a time of 21.40.

Detailed results can be found on the website www.canarias-invitational.com. With high participation and attendance, the Canarias Athletics Invitational wraps up its most successful and international edition yet. The meet, organized by the Canary Islands Athletics Federation and Alka Sport, was supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, Canary Islands Tourism, the Tenerife Island Council, and the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.