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The Cuban Jorge Hodelín delivered an outstanding performance at the Indoor World Championship, finishing in fourth place in the men's long jump, marking his debut in this type of competition.
Eighteen-year-old Hodelín achieved his personal best on his second attempt, with a jump of 8.26 meters (SB), a mark that kept him in podium contention for several rounds, competing head-to-head with the world elite.
The podium was made up of the Portuguese Gerson Baldé (8.46), the Italian Mattia Furlani (8.39), and the Bulgarian (8.31), in that order.
In a high-level final, the Cuban surpassed notable figures such as Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, as well as Jamaican Tajay Gayle and Spanish athlete Eusebio Cáceres.
Although he was pushed off the podium in his last attempts, his fourth place confirms his international potential and reiterates that his jump of 8.34 meters last year was no fluke.
Cuba again demonstrates that it has a strong presence and future in the long jump, focusing on the Olympic cycle leading up to Los Angeles 2028.
According to the site JIT, the small delegation from the island – consisting of six members – finished in 15th place in the country ranking, with the gold medal won by triple jumper Leyanis Pérez being their only medal. The United States (5 golds, 7 silvers, 6 bronzes), Great Britain (4-0-0), and Italy (3-2-0) topped the table.
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