Alberto Cruz (born 6 June 1972) is a Mexican former racewalker. He was a world junior champion and took a bronze medal at the 1993 IAAF World Race Walking Cup. Amongst his senior honours are gold medals from the Central American and Caribbean and Ibero-American Championships.
Career Cruz was highly successful as a junior athlete. He won three straight golds at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics, winning his first at the age of fourteen in 1986 and his last in 1990.Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics (Men) . GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27. He became world junior champion in 1988 and returned two years later to defend his title, narrowly finishing second behind Ilya Markov (who would go on to win an Olympic medal in the sport).World Junior Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27. Cruz also won two consecutive gold medals at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships (1989 and 1991).Pan American Junior Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
On his senior debut for Mexico, a sixteen-year-old Cruz was disqualified at the 1988 Pan American Race Walking Cup. He performed well in his subsequent outings, however, taking tenth at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships and fourth at the 1990 Pan American Race Walking Cup, which was held on hom turf and saw a Mexican sweep of the top four with Ernesto Canto, Joel Sánchez and Carlos Mercenario.Aguilera, Rubén. . Association of Panamerican Athletics, pg. 122. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.Alberto Cruz. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
He established himself regionally with a gold medal win at the 1991 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics held in Xalapa, Mexico, beating his compatriot and runner-up Víctor Sánchez by over three minutes. His finishing time of 1:27:09 hours was a championship record.Central American and Caribbean Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27. Another gold medal followed in the 20,000 metres track walk at the 1992 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics, bettering South American opposition in Clodomiro Moreno and Jefferson Pérez.Ibero-American Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
Cruz appeared to signify a move into the global elite with a bronze medal at the 1993 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, joining countryman Daniel García on the podium in Monterrey, Mexico.World and Continental Race Walking Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-27. However, this proved to be one of the last high-profile performances of his career. He made one more international outing at the 2000 Pan American Race Walking Cup, but failed to finish the event.
International competitions 1986CAC Junior ChampionshipsMexico City, Mexico1st5000 m walk22:571988CAC Junior ChampionshipsNassau, Bahamas1st10,000 m walk46:05World Junior ChampionshipsSudbury, Canada1st10,000 m walk41:16.11Pan American Race Walking CupMar de Plata, Argentina —20 km walk1989World Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary10th5000 m walk20:18.99Pan American Junior ChampionshipsSanta Fe, Argentina1st10,000 m walk42:00.211990CAC Junior ChampionshipsHavana, Cuba1st10,000 m walk44:11.00World Junior ChampionshipsPlovdiv, Bulgaria2nd10,000 m walk39:56.49Pan American Race Walking CupXalapa, Mexico4th20 km walk1:22:521991Pan American Junior ChampionshipsKingston, Jamaica1st10,000 m walk42:38.51CAC ChampionshipsXalapa, Mexico1st20 km walk1:27:09 1992Ibero-American ChampionshipsSeville, Spain1st20,000 m walk1:25:35.9Pan American Race Walking CupGuatemala City, Guatemala3rd20 km walk1:28:321993World Race Walking CupMonterrey, Mexico3rd20 km walk1:24:372000Pan American Race Walking CupPoza Rica, Mexico —20 km walk
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