In 1993, Quintero won Cuba’s first title in the history of the World
Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, clearing 1.99 meters. In the same
year, she registered her personal bests with 2.00 meters outdoors and 2.01
indoors.

In her long career of over 15 years, Quintero participated in three
Olympic Games, with her best result being a bronze medal in Barcelona
1992. She also won the 1992 World Cup in Havana and took the crowns at the
Pan American Games of 1991 (Havana) and 1995 (Mar del Plata).

Meanwhile, Urrutia broke the men’s Triple Jump World indoor record in 1997
with a 17.83-meter leap in the German city of Sindelfingen. This mark
stood until March 2010, when France’s Teddy Tamgho improved it to 17.90.

Also in 1997, Urrutia followed his countryman Garcia for second at the
World Indoor Championships in Paris and added a bronze medal in the summer
at the World Championships in Athens, where his countryman Yoelbi Quesada
won with a national record of 17.85 meters.

His career also includes an Olympic experience in Atlanta`96, the World
University Games silver in 1997 and the 1993 CAC silver when he was still
a junior.

Finally, Joel Garcia took the Olympic silver medal in Sydney 2000, the
best performance ever by a Cuban triple jumper at the quadrennial sports
event. In 1997, he claimed the World Indoor gold in Paris and registered
his personal best (17.62) in Sindelfingen on the same day when Urrutia
shattered the World record. At the World Championships, he was close to
the medals in Edmonton 2001, but lost the bronze in the fifth round. Both
he and Urrutia ended their careers in 2004.

Quintero, Garcia and Urrutia joined 27 Cubans, including 22 athletes,
already included in the exclusive group since the first ceremony was held
in 2003. The list features Javier Sotomayor, Ana Fidelia Quirot, Silvio
Leonard, Alberto Juantorena and Enrique Figuerola.

Present in the ceremony were IAAF Member Services Department director Elio
Locatelli, IAAF Area Representative and NACAC chairman Neville McCook,
CACAC chairman Víctor Lopez and IAAF Council member and Cuban Federation
president Alberto Juantorena.