Juan Miguel Echevarria returned to competition after more than three years of absence

Cuban long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarria, considered one of the greatest talents in his discipline, returned to competition after more than three years of absence. He competed in a meeting in Portugal and achieved a result of 7.48m, which is far from his best performances, but is a first step towards strong results.

Juan Miguel Echevarria, known for his jaw-dropping jumps of 8.68m and wind-aided 8.83m and 8.92m and for pushing the boundaries of the event, has faced setbacks that kept him sidelined for years.

Juan Miguel Echevarria represented Cuba at the 2017 World Championships, narrowly missing the final. He later won a gold medal at the 2018 World Indoor Championships with a mark of 8.46m.

His personal bests in the event are 8.68m outdoors in Bad Langensalza in 2018 with a wind of +1.7 m/s and 8.46m indoors in Birmingham in 2018. He jumped 8.92m in Havana on March 10, 2019, aided by a +3.3 m/s wind, further than the extant Cuban national record of 8.71m. While this jump was not eligible for the Cuban record due to the excessive wind assistance, it was notable for being the longest jump in competition under any conditions for nearly 24 years, and the fourth longest jump under any conditions ever.