Aniel Molina overcomes rain and cold in the long jump

August 20, 2025

From the very beginning everyone knew that the men's long jump final would be difficult in Asunción 2025. A day of heavy rain and temperatures around 15° Celsius caused slips on the board, caution during the run-up, and muscle cramps to mark the day. However, Aniel Molina managed to secure a gold medal that is worth a lot in the face of such adversity.

It is the second title for Cuban athletics at the Junior Pan American Games and came with a mark of 7.95 m, unreachable for Colombian Jhon Valencia (7.39 m) and for the representative of the Cayman Islands, Andrew Stone (7.37 m), the other conquerors of the rain and cold.

“It was a very difficult competition, because we had the worst weather conditions. I expected a better mark, but the rain didn't help much”, he explained.

Aniel secured the title on his first attempt, with a jump of 7.62 m that would ultimately be unreachable for the rest of the finalists. However, he later solidified the crown with the decisive 7.95 m, very difficult to surpass on a night like this.

“That's what training is for, to know how to adjust technical details in situations like this. Now I listened to my coach's advice and came out with force to get the result”, he commented.

After the second round, Aniel committed four consecutive fouls, but he assures that his goal of seeking a better mark had more to do with it. “I wanted a jump that would bring me closer to the Tokyo world championships”, he says.

Even so, the Cuban closed a happy night because of his gold, but also because today he not only defeated eleven jumpers, but prevailed, through talent and preparation, against something as immense as the weather.