Cuba expects six medals from World Championships

Cuba will be aiming for six medals from the 14th World Athletics Championships to be held in Moscow Aug 10-18.

Cuba is sending a 24-member team for the World Championships and Alberto Juantorena, president of the Cuban Athletics Federation (CAF), said hopes are high from pole vaulter Yarisley Silva, runner-up at London 2012, and triple jumper Pedro Pablo Pichardo, reports Xinhua.

Silva is also holder of world record (4.90 metres) while Pichardo leads the season's qualification meets (17.69m).

"We hope that the delegation will do a better job than in Daegu 2011. I am very optimistic," said Juantorena.

According to Juantorena, other strong candidates are decathlon competitor Leonel Suarez, disc thrower Yarelis Barrios, javelin thrower Guillermo Martinez and hurdler Orlando Ortega.

After triple jumper Ernesto Reve, fifth in the season's rankings (17.46 m), dropped out due to an "old injury" in his right leg, the Cuban delegation now numbers 24.

Cuba ranked fifth in the overall medals win at World Athletics Championships, with 19 gold medals, 21 silver and nine bronze. However in the last edition held in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea, the island won only one silver and three bronze medals.