Tuesday, October 31th, 2023.- Colombian athlete Arnovis Dalmero claimed the gold medal in the long jump at Santiago 2023 with a leap of 8.08 meters.

The Caribbean athlete had a closely contested battle with Cuban athletes Alejandro Parada and Yoger Vidal, who secured the silver and bronze medals, both with jumps of 8.01 meters.

In August of this year, Dalmero had already secured a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics after winning gold at the South American Championships in Sao Paulo. Therefore, he was the top candidate for victory, capping off a successful 2023.

Cuba's Alejandro Parada, at just 19 years old, was one of the big surprises, and along with his compatriot Yoger Vidal, they brought double medals to the island nation in the long jump, a discipline where the Caribbean athletes held the Pan American title.

Uruguayan athlete Emiliano Lasa, who had previously won bronze in Lima 2019 and was one of the favorites, finished in fourth place with a jump of 8.00 meters, falling short of his goal of winning gold.

Chile's champion, Vicente Belgeri, ended up in seventh place with a leap of 7.63 meters, achieving his personal best mark.

With Dalmero's victory, Colombia achieves a "double" in the long jump, as Natalia Linares had previously won the female's event on Tuesday.

Written by Marcelo López; translated by Paulette Bertín/Photosport
Photo by Daniel Apuy/Santiago 2023 / Photosport