The Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo (2020) and indoor world champion in Birmingham (United Kingdom, 2018), Juan Miguel Echevarría, is looking for “a professional contract” in Portugal. According to the magazine Play Off Magazinethis Cuban jumper, who in 2022 requested his withdrawal from the sport for “personal reasons” and rejoined in January of this year, has a chance of breaking the long jump record of 8.95 meters, held by the American Mike Powell since 1991.
The magazine stressed that Echevarría’s departure is focused on improving his personal best of 8.92 meters that he achieved in the Copa Cuba (2019), when he was barely 20 years old. “Echevarría has achieved a spectacular jump of 8.92 meters, helped by an illegal wind of +3.3 m/s. But no one will take away from the Cuban having been able to surpass Bob Beamon (8.90) and postulate himself among the best jumpers of all time”, published the Spanish newspaper The confidential.
The departure from the Island of Echevarría coincides with the elimination by the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder) of the controversial “repatriation” requirement so that Cubans residing abroad can represent the Island.
When the withdrawal from the sport of this Camagüeyan was announced last year, some sources pointed to him as an athlete who could escape at any time. By then, in addition to his Olympic and world achievements, he had won a bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships (Doha, 2019) and that same year the gold medal at the Pan American Championships (Lima).
Echevarría’s departure focuses on improving his personal best of 8.92 meters that he achieved in the Copa Cuba (2019), when he was barely 20 years old
Later, when he returned to training, Echeverría was accompanied by Juan Nápoles, who trained him at the Pan-American stadium in Havana, before holding a meeting with the national athletics commissioner, Rolando Charró. His return was a mere formality, Cuban athletics, which is going through a severe crisis marked by escapes, could not afford to reject Echevarría.
Cubans have found abroad a vein to continue growing in sports. Roger Valentín Iribarne achieved a personal best in the 110 meter hurdles last week by stopping the clock in 13.21 seconds in the Diamond League held in Silesia, Poland. However, this athlete’s medal was obtained by defending the Benfica club.
Similar triumph stories are those carried out by the hurdler Orlando Ortega, the sprinters Arialis Gandulla and Reynier Mena, and the javelin thrower Yulenmis Aguilar.
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