Cuba does not officially participate in the European Athletics Championships. You cannot do it in an event intended only for countries of the Old Continent.
However, this Tuesday the Caribbean island scored a historic victory in the event hosted by the city of Rome. He did it, specifically, in the men’s triple jump event.
There, in the Eternal City, a young Cuban jumper who competes for Spain dethroned another renowned Cuban jumper, who represents Portugal, in a heart-stopping competition.
The news gains historical significance because the young man, who is none other than Jordan Díaz, achieved his victory with the third highest record of all time: a stratospheric 18.18 meters. The mark is also now the Spanish national record and places Jordan as the main favorite for Paris 2024.
However, it cannot be said that his rival sold his defeat cheaply. Pedro Pablo Pichardo, current Olympic and world champion, and now European silver medalist, “flew” to 18.04 – a national record for Portugal – but this incredible record, although it placed him as the leader at that time, was not achieved. Enough dessert.
As if that were not enough, both of them starred in a high-quality arm wrestling match, in which Jordan also stretched to 17.82 and 17.96, while Pichardo did so to 17.92, records far removed from the 17.38 with the that the Frenchman Thomas Gogois won the bronze.
The victory of the young 23-year-old Cuban-Spanish over the already more seasoned 30-year-old Cuban-Portuguese also had hints of “handsomeness,” after both exchanged statements before the final in Rome. And they even faced each other in the previous session and acknowledged that they had “nothing” between them.
Beyond this unpleasant situation, with the performance of both in the Italian capital, the largest of the Antilles confirmed its power in a test in which those born on the island have been imposing their law for several years, even when competing under other flags.
Pedroso, the guru
Jordan Díaz’s success, in addition to his own, has another name as the main protagonist: that of also Cuban Iván Pedroso, his coach.
The island’s legendary long jumper has become a triple jump guru and, like the mythical King Midas, turns everything he touches into gold. At least, to the jumpers under his orders.
Iván Pedroso: When you are playing for a title you have to forget about the brands
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Already at the European Championships in Rome the “grasshopper” had obtained a golden metal thanks to the Spanish triple jumper Ana Peleteiro, who nailed the spikes at 14.85 meters and also launched her candidacy for the ever-closer Olympic Games.
There she will be in charge of representing the so-called “Team Pedroso” among the ladies, after the injury of the star Yulimar Rojas, the most advantaged disciple of the Cuban and training partner of Peleteiro and Jordan Díaz.
For his part, the success in Rome of who is already beginning to be called “Air” Jordan – after the style of the extraordinary American basketball player – catapults him to the top of favoritism for Paris.
However, there he will have to face not only Pichardo, but also more top-level rivals, such as his countryman Andy Díaz – who represents Italy and was not present in the European event -, the Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert and the Burkinabe Hugues Fabrice Zango, in addition to the Cubans Lázaro Martínez and Cristian Nápoles, world medalists last year.
