Without special celebrations and with the modesty that distinguishes him, the Cuban guy Javier Sotomayor unbeatable exhibits his crown of absolute world record holder in high jump three decades after having impacted the world in Salamanca, Spain.
Sotomayor’s performance, whose face is covered by the strong Caribbean sun by wearing dark glasses, has dominated international spaces for decades since then in Latin America, the United States or Europe, where he is an idol.
He was 25 years old when on July 27, 1993 accomplished the feat of sexceed the bar at 2.45 meters, a height unattainable until now.
How long will your brand be valid? “Nobody knows”, said the king of the heights in a recent interview with Reuters.
Now, on July 27, I celebrate 30 years as a record holder. I feel very happy, very proud after so many years to still have the glory of being the world record holder and always convinced that someone is going to beat him.
Sotomayor, 55 years old and born in the town of Limonar, Matanzas, is Secretary of the Cuban Athletics Federation.
The lanky ex-athlete accumulates a sheet of brilliant results, among which are included the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and of silver in Sydney 2000, in addition to the outdoor world crowns in Stuttgart and indoor in Budapest.
In the capital of Hungary, in 1988, got the world primacy in indoor stadiums with 2.43 meters and a year later in San Juan, Puerto Rico, jumped 2.44 meters outdoors before the 2.45 meter mark which remains unchanged.
I am celebrating 35 years as a world record holder, 2.43 meters in Budapest, but clarifying that it is 30 years since the absolute world record of 2.45 meters in Salamanca.
Three-time champion of the Pan American Games in Indianapolis 1987, Havana 1991 and Mar del Plata 1995 said that records are made to be broken.
While the days and years go by and someone still doesn’t do it, I’m going to live with that pride, although I’m not going to stop living it when it happens that someone surpasses me.
Sotomayor narrated that some days leading up to the world record I had a feeling I could do it. A week earlier, he commented, he had a competition in London and jumped 2.40 meters. He could not get higher because of the rain, he recalled.
The Cuban guy thanks his rivals back then the progression he had to achieve his feat.
Swedish patrik sjöberg (2.42m), former world record holder, the Kazakh Igor Paklin (2.41) and the Americans charles austin (2.40) and Hollys Conway (2.39 m), among others, They were his great rivals.
There was a great competition between us in each of the scenarios. Today with 2.33 or 2.34 meters you are a gold medalist and surely a medalist in any competition, whether at the world or Olympic level. They were the culprits that he jumped 2.45 meters.
sotomayor recognized two figures that have endangered his primacy: the qatari Mutaz Essa Barshin, with a jump of 2.43 meters in Brussels, and the Ukrainian Bogdan Bondarenko with a stretch of 2.42 meters in New York. Both jumps were in the already distant 2014.
(With information from Reuters)
Reference-aristeguinoticias.com
