Son of Javier Sotomayor wins Spain's under 18 championship

March 15, 2023

Young Jaxier Sotomayor, son of the greatest high jumper of all time, Cuban Javier Sotomayor, won this Saturday the National Under 18 Indoor Track and Field Championship of Spain.

The teenager, who like his father competes in high jump, confirms himself as Spain's champion after surpassing his rivals with a jump of 1.99 meters.

"Another rung reached at his young age of 15 years. Today we won the Under 18 Championship of Spain held in Salamanca, last year the Under 16. Before the competition I couldn't miss the opportunity to take my son to the stadium that witnessed two of my World Records, 2.43 and 2.45. We keep moving up," Sotomayor said on his Facebook wall.

Jaxier won the high jump event in the same city where almost 30 years ago—it was July 27, 1993—his father jumped 2.45 meters, a world record that still stands today.

This weekend, the young Cuban, who was the youngest competitor in the event, improved what was his best mark, of 1.96 meters.

Last year, he was crowned champion in the under-16 category, achieving a record of 1.91 meters, with which he broke his personal records.

Jaxier, like his father, holds Spanish citizenship and trains at Club Deportivo Méliz Sport, in the city of Guadalajara.