The Cuban triple jump is in very good health. There is no discussion about that, especially when we see three specialists from the Island take the podium of a high-level competition with outstanding marks. However, we are invaded by a feeling of emotional emptiness when we see that none of these three triple jumpers compete under the Cuban flag, since they decided to continue their respective professional careers far from the land where they were born and developed in the sport.
We are talking about two young talents like Jordan Diaz and Andy Díaz, who were ahead of the consecrated Pedro Pablo Pichardo in the seventh stop of the 2022 Diamond League in Paris, France. The fight took place this Saturday at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in the French city, where the Antilleans made it 1-2-3 ahead of figures with an outstanding record such as Hugues Fabrice Zango or Christian Taylor.
Jordan, nationalized Spanish just a few months ago, led the competition with a growth spurt of 17.66 meters, the second best mark of his nascent career, after the 17.76 he set last weekend during the Honor Division of the National Club Championship in La Nucia , Alicante.
The 21-year-old, who decided to stay in Spain before the Tokyo Olympics, has had a meteoric progression in recent months under the tutelage of the stellar Cuban coach Iván Pedroso, who also serves as a guide to the world record holder and summer champion of the feminine triple, the Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas.
Cuba ? triple jump
Jordan Diaz leads a Cuban 1-2 in the men’s triple jump, beating Andy Diaz by 1cm with 17.66m from 17.65m.#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/E2kYzyLOPm
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 18, 2022
For its part, Andy Diaz put pressure on the Parisian fight by getting a jump of 17.65, one centimeter above his personal record. The 26-year-old triple jumper, who now represents the Italian club Libertas Livorno after separating from the Cuban national team a few months ago, had achieved a record of 17.64 on May 22 at the Grosseto International Meeting, but this time he raised the stop.
In any case, his new personal best was not enough to surpass Jordan, nor could the Olympic champion Pedro Pablo Pichardo (Portugal), who finished the competition with a top jump of 17.49 meters, valid for third position.
It is fair to recognize that the contest could have had a much more nourished fight between Cuban triple jumpers if Lázaro Martínez, brand-new monarch of the indoor world in Belgrade, Serbia, had participated only three months ago. However, the commitment of the Barrientos Memorial in Havana and the need to comply with immigration procedures for the World Cup in Eugene next July prevented him from facing his compatriots in Paris.
