Liadagmis Povea Reigns Again in France in Triple Jump and Leads the Season

February 16, 2023

Cuban triple jumper Liadagmis Povea won her second consecutive competition in France, triumphing at the indoor athletics meet in Liévin. This is one of the gold category stops of the World Athletics Indoor Tour 2023.

Povea, who finished fifth at Tokyo 2020, began the competition with a jump of 14.63 meters that far exceeded the 14.26 m with which she won first place in Paris, four days earlier. She was thus just one centimeter short of the 14.64 with which she won in Germany and these were her best marks of the season.

However, after a second attempt in which she reached 14.56 m, on her third try the Cuban flew to 14.81, to secure first place and become the leader in women's triple jump in the current indoor season.

Those were Povea's only three valid jumps in the event, as after a fourth failed attempt, she decided to give up the two remaining opportunities.

For Cuban Povea, who trains under the direction of Yoelbi Quesada, a bronze medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and world champion in 1997, this is her third best personal record, as recalled by the Deporte Cubano site on Twitter. Only the 14.93 meters achieved in 2021 and the 14.88 reached that same year surpass it. She made both marks outdoors, in Havana.

With this, Povea accumulates four podiums in four competitions during the current season, proof that she is in excellent form.

The Cuban debuted with a win in Karlsruhe, Germany and then took second place in Mondeville, France, with a mark of 14.39 m. There she was surpassed by her compatriot Leyanis Pérez (14.48 m).

In Paris, Povea prevailed again with 14.26 m and it was Pérez who had to settle for second place (14.18 m).

In Liévin, the two Cuban triple jumpers once again staged a duel that ended with the same result as Paris. Pérez finished second with a jump of 14.65 m, which is a personal record, achieved on her sixth and final attempt.

Any of her four previous valid jumps would have given her second place in the competition. Her sequence was 14.12 m, 14.39 m, 14.32 m and 14.34 m, all ahead of the 14.01 m achieved by Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who finished in third place, on her only legitimate attempt.

Pérez's mark is now the fourth best in the history of a Cuban female triple jumper indoors. Only the 15.28 m of Yamilé Aldama, representing Sudan; the 15.05 of the now-retired Yargelis Savigne and the 14.81 m of Povea surpass it.

At this French competition, the two Cuban triple jumpers confirmed their dominance during the current season, in which they have only defeated each other.

Another Cuban who competed in the French city on February 15 was long jumper Maykel Massó, who could only reach fourth place.

The bronze medalist at Tokyo 2020 reached 7.94 m on his final attempt, in a competition in which he had no fouls. He had previously registered 7.74 m, 7.69 m, 7.75 m, 7.55 m and 7.66 m.

His best jump at this stop is also his best of the season and it was enough for him to tie American Marquis Dendy, who had the same mark. Dendy's second best jump surpassed that of the Cuban, who was relegated to fourth place.

The winner of the competition was Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou, with a jump of 8.41 m that gives him the lead in the season.

The three Cubans will compete again on February 22 in Madrid, at one of the most important indoor tournaments held in Spain.