The Cuban long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría will be out of the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, as confirmed this Sunday by Cuba's national athletics commissioner, Rolando Charroo, in an exclusive interview with DeporCuba.
The reason for the absence is not sports-related: the jumper is currently in the midst of administrative and immigration procedures concerning his stay in Spain, which prevented him from traveling to the capital of the Dominican Republic.
Charroo emphasized that the National Athletics Commission maintained ongoing contact with the athlete's coach throughout the entire process, and that Echevarría never wavered in his desire to represent Cuba at the regional event.
However, the uncertainty about his situation in Spanish territory made it impossible to appoint a substitute in time. "That was a space that was earned, and we held out until the last minute," the commissioner stated.
Due to the inability to fill the spot with another competitor, Jorge Hodelín will be the only Cuban representative in the long jump, an event scheduled for August 4 at 5:55 p.m. local time.
Hodelín arrives in exceptional form: on June 13, he established the world record under-20 with 8.46 meters at the Envol Trophée held in France, and on July 20, he won bronze at the Diamond League in Monaco with 8.38 meters.
Echevarría's withdrawal represents a blow to Cuba's aspirations in athletics, a discipline in which the delegation projected winning between 11 and 12 gold medals at these Central American Games.
Echevarría, considered one of the best long jumpers in the world, has an outstanding career: indoor world champion in Birmingham 2018, world bronze in Doha 2019, Pan American champion in Lima 2019, and Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo 2021, with a personal best of 8.68 meters outdoors.
In 2022, he requested to leave the Cuban national team for personal reasons and settled in Spain, where he trains with the group of Iván Pedroso in Guadalajara.
In April 2024, they rejoined the national team under the reintegration policy promoted by the Athletics Commission itself, and since then, they have been competing representing Cuba on the international circuit based in Spanish territory.
Her best mark of the current season is 8.27 meters, achieved on July 1 at the José Antonio Cansino Memorial held in Spain.
In contrast, the pole vaulter Aslin Quiala, also from Spain, has successfully joined the Cuban delegation and is now at the Central American Village finalizing her preparation to compete in pole vaulting.
Cuba participates in Santo Domingo 2026 with 504 athletes in 42 disciplines, aiming to finish among the top three in the overall medal standings in games that extend until August 8.
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