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The Cuban sports is in mourning this Wednesday following the passing of Juan Francisco Centelles, one of the great names in high jump in the history of national athletics.
Pan American champion in Caracas 1983, a multi-medalist in international competitions, and a multiple-time national record holder, Centelles, whose life span totaled 64 years, marked an era and was part of the generation that preceded the legendary Javier Sotomayor.
His death leaves a profound void among athletes, coaches, and colleagues, as expressed in multiple messages on social media from Inder and the sports outlet JIT.
But to understand his legacy, it's enough to return to the exclusive interview he gave in 2017 to journalist Julia Osendi for CiberCuba, where he candidly recounted his journey, his struggles, his mentors, and the injustices of the Cuban sports system.
"I was born in Lawton...": the origins of a great one
“I was born in Lawton, in the 10 de Octubre municipality, although I have lived in the Villa de Pepe Antonio in Guanabacoa since I was 14 years old,” Centelles recalled. His sports career began in athletics at the age of 14, after practicing football and wrestling in local sports centers.
His discovery happened almost by chance: "A physical education teacher, with the last name Tellería, took me to an interschool competition. There, I was noticed by Luis Rodríguez Martínez. Within four months, I was already competing at the provincial level."
That was the beginning of a journey that took him to the Pre-EIDE Rubén Martínez Villena, followed by the EIDE Mártires de Barbados, where his destiny changed forever under the guidance of coach Regla Sandrino Izquierdo, whom he called his "fairy godmother."
"I am grateful for everything I know about my specialty and for who I am as a human being. Regla is one of those people who leave a lasting impact on your life."
The elite of high jump: glory, tensions, and obstacles
In 1978, Giraldo Córdova Cardín joined the ESPA under the tutelage of Professor José Godoy, the same one who would take Sotomayor to the top. However, personal tensions would cause their paths to diverge.
In 1983, he began training with Ricardo Guadarrama, who was also responsible for athletes like Silvia Costa, a world runner-up and still a national record holder.
Afterward, there would be ups and downs, technical discussions, institutional decisions that often did not favor the athletes, and the constant struggle to prove their worth. In 1989, a bacterial meningoencephalitis nearly took his life and left him disabled for seven months.
Even so, he fought to return: “When I wanted to rejoin, they denied me the sports license. They told me that if I jumped 2.30, they would readmit me.”
He achieved it —and yet, the doors did not open as he had hoped.
A no-nonsense coach and a system that never benefited him
In the interview, Centelles spoke candidly about the Cuban sports system and how, despite developing highly promising talents, he was never allowed to join the national coaching staff.
"Every time I had a promising jumper, they took them away to give them to other coaches. It's not about being good-looking, but about being well-liked."
A life dedicated to athletics… also outside of Cuba
Centelles dedicated several years to training abroad: in Brazil, Nigeria, and Nicaragua, where he remained active in developing new generations. From there, his vision of Cuban sports emerged: clear and ahead of its time
And since 2017, he has highlighted what is now evidence: the mass exodus of Cuban athletes.
"Of course, they should allow athletes to seek new horizons. We wouldn't be doing so poorly on the international stage if we didn't lose so much talent."
And he uttered a phrase that today sounds prophetic: "All Cubans should be eligible to represent us. You'll see that this will happen one day."
An unforgettable legacy
Juan Francisco Centelles not only stands out in memory as a champion. He also emerges as a mentor, a critical thinker, an honest man, passionate about his specialty, and marked by his struggle against a system that never granted him the recognition he deserved.
Cuban athletics loses an indispensable figure, and those who knew him lose a noble man, one of integrity who was always willing to help.
Please accept the heartfelt condolences of your family and friends.
His story —both the official version and the one he told himself— stands as a testament to an era and a man who never ceased to fight.
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