Foto: Pavel Lebeda (sport-pics.cz)

Cuban long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría looked at two tapes at the landing area that marked the difference between his last year’s Golden Spike record 866cm and world record 895cm of Mike Powell. Then he admitted that 29 centimetres on this level is really a lot.

Of course he would like to offer the audience great performance and even breaking his own record. “The season is long and its highlight will be at the World Championships during fall. So now I wouldn’t even want to be in the maximum form. However, it doesn’t mean I couldn’t jump far. I would like to break 834cm jump from Rabat and to attack the last year’s performance,” said Echevarría.

This year, he flew with a wind power to 892cm in Havana, which he did not plan at all. “I was very happy about the jump. I was surprised. But as I told before, I don’t want to think about world record that will be topical before Doha World Championships. Now I want to focus on Golden Spike’s record,” he smiled.

In the race at the City Stadium in Vítkovice he wanted to measure his strength with his friend and world champion Luvo Manyonga. However, South African injured his ankle in Rabat and apologized to all fans through journalists. “I am so sorry. The medical examination showed I have strained ligaments in ankle, so it is not so serious. I can’t jump in Ostrava but I will support athletes at the stadium.”

Thus, Echevarría will most likely compete with measuring technology. And also he is looking forward to the hot weather during Thursday. “Thirty degrees? That would be great, I would feel like in Cuba,” he added.