Yunaika Crawford - Senior Career

Senior Career

In 2002 Crawford broke the 70-metre barrier for the first time, with 70.62 metres achieved during a meet in Madrid in July. She improved slightly the next year, with 70.69 from Havana in May. She won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, behind countryfellow Yipsi Moreno. She also competed at the 2003 World Championships, but with a 64.59 throw in the qualifying round, she did not reach the top twelve, who progressed to the final.

In 2004, Crawford beat her 2003 best result several times. Having started the season with a couple of competitions in the 60-metre range, she launched a 71.62 metre throw in Havana in March. She then dropped below 70 metres in the next competition, before returning with a 70.44 m throw in Seville, 71.75 in Guadalajara, 71.40 in Padova and 70.33 in Kazan. Entering the Olympic Games, she threw 71.74 metres in the qualifying round and progressed safely to the final. Here, she reached new levels to throw a career best of 73.16 metres. This was enough to win the Olympic bronze medal. Ahead of her on the poodium were Russian Olga Kuzenkova, who had started with a 73.18 metre throw and been leading throughout the competition, and pre-event favourite Yipsi Moreno who had to settle for silver.

In 2005 she only managed a season's best of 69.30 metres, from Havana in March. She competed at the 2005 World Championships, but fell through in the qualification round. With only 63.79 metres she was far from securing a place in the final round. She did however win the silver medal at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships, this time behind Trinidadian Candice Scott. The next year her season's best throw was 71.92 metres. However, no major events were staged this year, except for the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, where she won another silver medal behind Yipsi Moreno.

In 2007 she managed to reach an international final again, at the 2007 World Championships, but in the final round she finished twelfth and last following two throws in the 67-metre range. She then competed at the 2008 Olympic Games, but did not reach the final round and finishing with a 31st place.