Cuban long jumper Juan Miguel Echeverría returns to national team

February 2, 2023

Long jumper Juan Miguel Echeverría, Olympic silver medalist and World Indoor Champion, is currently training at the Panamericano Stadium with the aim of returning to the Cuban national team for upcoming international events.

This was confirmed by a source close to this journalist, who also reported that he is working with his former coach, talent developer Juan Nápoles.

Both athlete and coach are waiting for the arrival of the national athletics commissioner, Rolando Charró, who is currently on the winter tour as part of the delegation, to complete all the necessary steps for his reinstatement.

In June of last year, news broke of Echeverría's removal from the national team, although for reasons never clarified. The commissioner at that time, Yipsi Moreno, cited personal reasons, but other sources claimed it was because he was considered a possible defector.

The fact is that since the appointment of the new national commissioner, they have been tasked with welcoming members who caused removals in the past, adding important pieces to Cuban athletics. Such are the cases of Juan Nápoles, Cristian Nápoles, and Yoandy Lescay.

The reinstatement of Juan Miguel Echeverría would be one of the most important events in Cuban athletics this year, as he is the Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, World bronze medalist in Doha 2019, gold in the World Indoor Championship in Birmingham 2018, and gold in the Pan American Championship in Lima 2019, all of this before turning 25 years old.

One will have to see the jumper's current form, who has not competed officially since the Tokyo Olympics, although a talent of this caliber should always have the doors open.