Cuban length jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría This Sunday resumed his competitive activity with a discreet 7.48 meter brand, which barely reached him to occupy the fifth seat at the rally Athletics Under roof Moniz Pereira, held in the Portuguese city of Pombal.
The 26 -year -old Camagüano, who was not officially skipped since he conquered the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, began his performance now with a 7.10 meter jump, reports The EFE agency.
1st official jump of Juan Miguel Echevarría since that 2-08-2021, when he lost the gold dramatically against Tentoglou.
3 and a half years later returns more mature and with greater muscle mass. 2025 will be a key year for Iván Pedroso’s pupil. For now 7.48m to start. pic.twitter.com/tiu35xj7qj
– Raúl del Pino (@Ralex_88) January 26, 2025
His best execution came in the third attempt, after a poor stretch up to 6.25 meters. His next two incursions were not valid and decided not to participate in the last round of jumps.
Little emotion had the test, in which none of the contestants managed to overcome the eight meter barrier. Who came most was the Spanish Jaime Guerra (7.95 meters), escorted on the awards podium by Brazilian Almir Dos Santos (7,65) and his compatriot Eusebio Cáceres (7.55).
The return of Echevarría to the Salto drawer was completed under the protection of the Cuban Athletics Federation, which was discouraged in 2022 then exposing as a cause “personal reasons.”
A year later he settled in Portugal, where he would have signed to represent a club, but in April 2024, with the Olympic appointment of Paris on the horizon, he surprised specialists and fans when he announced that he returned to training under the command of the iconic Cuban former Iván Pedroso.
Athletics: Juan Miguel Echevarría will represent Cuba again with Paris 2024 on the horizon
When joining the group of the prestigious coach, based on the Spanish town of Guadalajara, Echevarría intended to get shape to seek to compete and achieve the brand to compete in the Parisian event, something that did not end up occurring.
The Cuban jumper was champion of the 2018 Birmingham Covered Track with a record of 8.46 meters, and the following year dominated the Diamond League final held in the Swiss city of Zurich.
In his file, a jump of 8.68 meters appears as a better personal brand, although he reached up to 8.92 with wind in favor of what is allowed for brand homologation.
