Long jumper in hit-list shock

Niurka Montalvo, the former world long jump champion, has vowed to continue her athletics career after discovering that her name appears on an ETA hit list.

The 33-year-old Cuban-born Spaniard has been on holiday at a secret location since being informed by Spanish police that she was included on a list naming potential targets which was found in the possession of a member of the Basque terrorist group.

It is thought that Montalvo, who lives in Valencia, has been identified as a target because of ETA's strong links with Cuba's Marxist-Leninist regime. She was denounced as a traitor in her homeland when she moved to Spain in 1998. She represented Spain when she won the world title with a dramatic final attempt at the world championships in Seville in 1999 but was denied the official blessing she needed from Cuba to compete as a Spaniard at Sydney 2000.

Montalvo said: "As yet, I haven't been threatened. Nor have I felt my life was in danger. There are others on the list but because I'm better known it could be that an attack on me would have greater effect. The only lists I'm normally on are ranking lists."