Cuban triple jumper Jordan Díaz receives Spanish nationality

February 3, 2022

Cuban Jordan Díaz Fortún, the world's greatest prospect in the triple jump, is officially a Spanish athlete after his "Spanish nationality by letter of naturalization" was published this Wednesday in Spain's Official State Gazette (BOE). The 20-year-old Cuban triple jumper born in Havana has been junior and under-20 world champion, and also won gold at the Youth Games.

Díaz is also a silver medalist at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and a finalist at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. The young Cuban who will now compete for Spain is ranked eighth on the World Athletics list of the world's best in the triple jump.

His personal best is a jump of 17.49 meters achieved at an event in the city of Camagüey in 2019, while indoors he holds a 17.07 in Liévin, France, in 2020.

On June 28th, Jordan deserted the Cuban delegation that was competing in Castellón before traveling to Tokyo, and after contacting Spanish athlete Ana Peleteiro, whose coach is the legendary long jump figure Iván Pedroso, also Cuban, the Spanish bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games in this same discipline, he informed Spanish authorities.

(1) Here is the page of the Official State Gazette (BOE) that records the naturalization of Jordan Alejandro Díaz Fortun (Jordan Díaz) at the proposal of the Justice Minister "in consideration of the exceptional circumstances that occur" in the ...(continues pic.twitter.com/YCMigKql1K
— Ángel Cruz Jiménez (@AngelCruzJ) February 2, 2022

Peleteiro took interest in the case and urged José Manuel Franco, president of the Higher Council of Sports, to elevate it to the Ministries of Interior and Justice, to expedite the procedures as much as possible. The result has come today, with Spain adding another Cuban talent to the ranks of its Athletics team, following short hurdler Orlando Ortega and thrower Frank Casañas.

The young athlete has been training for a couple of months in Guadalajara with Pedroso, alongside Yulimar Rojas, Peleteiro and Alexis Copello among other elite jumpers. Díaz, who will turn 21 next February 23rd, could participate in the Paris 2024 Games since he would have already met the three-year requirement that World Athletics demands when changing nationality.