Pedro Pablo Pichardo Eyes Second Olympic Gold for Portugal at Paris 2024

With an illustrious career, Pedro Pablo Pichardo, the Cuban-born athlete now representing Portugal, stands as one of the greatest triple jumpers in the history of track and field. His impressive accolades include an Olympic gold medal (Tokyo 2020), two world championships (Eugene 2022 and Belgrade indoor 2022), a European title (Munich 2022), and two indoor continental championships (Torun 2021 and Istanbul 2023).

Pichardo was a formidable competitor for his native Cuba, engaging in memorable duels with American legend Christian Taylor, a two-time Olympic champion (London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016). Now, the Santiago native aims to emulate Taylor by seeking his second consecutive Olympic crown in Paris 2024, although the path is fraught with challenges from a new generation of jumpers.

Rivalries and Controversies

At 31, Pichardo recently lost to his compatriot, the Spanish-nationalized Jordan Díaz, at the European Championships. The competition was intense, culminating in a heated exchange in the athletes' village dining hall and later on social media. On June 11, Díaz, just 23 years old, leaped 18.18 meters to clinch the gold medal, setting Spanish and continental records and achieving the third-best jump of all time, just 11 centimeters shy of the world record held by Jonathan Edwards.

Despite the close contest, with Pichardo securing the silver medal with a jump of 18.04 meters, the Portuguese athlete publicly questioned the legitimacy of Díaz's result. In a lengthy Instagram post, Pichardo raised doubts, asking, "Why was the electronic gauge turned off at that moment? How do we know it was really 18.18 meters?"

The Olympic and world champion urged European Athletics, World Athletics, and the responsible judges to provide a swift response and clarification. He added, "In a competition of this level, it's unusual for a great mark to be made with the electronic gauge off." Pichardo further noted that his rival celebrated without even knowing where he had landed, as the gauge was already off, suggesting Díaz knew he had surpassed him even before the measurement.

Pichardo's actions have fueled further controversy among athletes from the Cuban school of jumps, who are seen as top contenders for the title at the Olympic Games. Both athletes showed excellent form during the qualifications and exchanged several messages in interviews conducted in the mixed zone.

All these elements add to the excitement of the men's triple jump at Paris, scheduled to begin with qualifications on Wednesday, August 7. Pichardo, who left the Cuban delegation in Stuttgart, Germany, in April 2017, will face another formidable opponent in Andy Díaz, a fellow Cuban excelling under the Italian flag. The official Cuban delegation will feature indoor champion Lázaro Martínez and Cristian Nápoles. Additionally, the Burkinabe Hugues Fabrice Zangho and young Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert should not be overlooked.