Cuban triple jumper Jordan Díaz sets Spanish record and breaks his own mark

February 22, 2023

The 21-year-old from Havana jumped twice above his previous record of 17.49 m during the Spanish Athletics Championship.

Cuban triple jumper Jordan Díaz Fortún set a Spanish record in triple jump last Sunday, with a mark of 17.59 meters, which shattered his previous record.

The 21-year-old from Havana, who competes in the athletics section of FC Barcelona, jumped twice—17.58 and 17.59 meters—above his previous record of 17.49 m during the Spanish Indoor Track and Field Championship in Madrid.

Díaz Fortún, who will not be able to compete internationally for Spain until 2024, had said the day before the competition that he was particularly excited to participate in his first Spanish championship.

"I'm very happy with my current form. I made a very good mark, but I still want more. Winter is always difficult for me. Being in such good shape now gives me a lot of hope for achieving a great result in summer," the Cuban confessed after the competition, in statements reported by Mundo Deportivo.

The young triple jumper won gold with more than a meter's advantage over the second-place finisher, Pablo Torrijos (16.44 m), despite not being in his best physical condition due to temporary ailments.

Likewise, the Cuban talent expressed excitement about becoming the greatest triple jumper of all time in the future.

"I dream of breaking the world record and surpassing the 18-meter barrier. I know I can do it," he said.

Last November, the athlete, who became a Spanish national in February 2022, announced that he could represent Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As the jumper revealed on his social media, World Athletics informed him that starting June 28, 2024, he will be able to compete for the Iberian country in international competitions.

This decision ended the obstacles faced by the Cuban athlete, who last June, when he won his debut in the Diamond League in Paris, could not register his mark for Spain, since the organization considered that he still competed under the Cuban flag and did not recognize his victory for the Spanish delegation.

Díaz Fortún has been training since late 2021 with the Dream Team, under the direction of legendary Cuban jumper Iván Pedroso, and to which Yulimar Rojas and Ana Peleteiro also belong, gold and bronze respectively in women's triple jump at the Tokyo Olympics.

Born in Havana in 2001, Jordan left the Cuba team in July 2021, when he was about to compete in the Bislett Games in Oslo.