Cuban triple jumper Andy Díaz: "In Rome, I slept on the street in front of the immigration office."

After winning his first medal representing Italy at Paris 2024, the Cuban Andy Díaz, bronze in the Olympic triple jump, recalled the bitter moments he experienced during his first months in Rome.

In an interview with Il Messaggero, the person born in Havana recounted: "I had nothing and lived off nothing. I slept several times on the street in front of the immigration office in Rome, then they moved the office and I also went to the other side."

"I had to sleep nearby to not lose my priority in the document appointment. Sometimes I didn't see good scenes. Then I managed the best I could during the day. But now I say that many nights spent on the street were not in vain," recalled one of the protagonists of the unpublished podium of Cuban emigrants in the Parisian competition.

The two-time Diamond League winner (2022, 2023) finished in third place behind his compatriots Jordan Díaz and Pedro Pablo Pichardo, who competed for Spain and Portugal, respectively.

In the dialogue with the media, Andy also thanked the support of his coach Fabrizio Donato, another former triple jumper and Olympic medalist from London 2012, and stated that he still has goals to achieve in global athletics.

At 28 years old, the athlete, whose personal best is 17.75 meters, was one of the 21 Cubans who participated in the Paris competition under other flags.