Echevarría wins the Memorial Carlos Gil in Salamanca in his return to elite competition

June 7, 2026

Cuban long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría claimed victory on Saturday at the Memorial Carlos Gil in Salamanca, Spain, marking his return to elite athletics after a knee injury that kept him out of the 2025 World Championships.

Echevarría matched French athlete Erwan Konaté's top jump of 8.24 meters, but was awarded the win on the basis of his second-best effort, in a competition that brought together several of the continent's leading specialists in the event.

The Cuban, a silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and a multiple-time world championship finalist, had been absent from major international competition due to physical problems that prevented him from attending the 2025 World Championships.

The day was doubly positive for Cuban athletics, as Jorge Hodelín also claimed first place in Greece, at the historic Papaflessia stadium, with a jump of 8.22 meters.

The results of both athletes represent an encouraging sign for Cuba heading into the upcoming major international competitions of the season.