World Champs Men’s Triple Jump —Vet Pichardo Repels Late Challenge

YOUNG ITALIAN Andrea Dallavalle jumped better than he ever had before, a performance that gave him a shining moment in the lead. But veteran Pedro Pichardo of Portugal, a World and Olympic champion, gave his rival a schooling with a spectacular finish to the competition.

In the first round, it was Algeria’s Texas A&M alum, Yasser Triki, who led with his 56-7¼ (17.25). Cuban Lázaro Martínez held 2nd at 56-3¾ (17.16). Pichardo sat in 3rd with his 56-0 (17.07) while Dallavalle put himself in 4th at 55-9¼ (17.00).

Pichardo took over in the second stanza, bouncing a solid 57-7 (17.55). Martínez, in hot pursuit, got out to 57-4¾ (17.49). Jamaica’s Jordan Scott leapt into 4th at 56-4¾ (17.19).

Pichardo modeled consistency in round 3 with another 57-7. Dallavalle got back into 4th with his 56-6¾ (17.24), just a centimeter away from Triki’s bronze.

In round 4, Pichardo jumped 56-11½ (17.36). The only improvement in round 5 came from Jamaica’s Jordan Scott at 56-5¾ (17.21); he moved into 5th. Pichardo passed.

Dallavalle came into round 6 hungry for more. The 25-year-old sprinted down the runway on his final attempt and popped out to a lifetime best by more than foot, 57-10½ (17.64).

Three jumps remained. Triki scared his best with a 56-6½ (17.23). Martínez, looking hurt, did a run-through. Then it all came down to Pichardo. The 32-year-old veteran gathered himself on the runway that gave him Olympic gold 4 years ago and sprinted for the board. The roar from the crowd was instantaneous. Leaping out of the pit, the Cuban-born star shouted a defiant message at the TV cameras and began to celebrate. The measurement, 58-9¼ (17.91), gave him the world lead as well as a second WC gold.

“I was scared,” he admitted. “But I always leave a bit for the last jump. My wife doesn’t like it much, she always says I have to give it all on the first jump, so if what happened today happens I have the energy to respond. And I did. In the fifth, I saved a little bit of energy and now we have a victory. I wasn’t planning to use all my jumps and was ready to skip the last one. When Andrea took the lead that shook me up a bit, but I knew I still had it in me to jump again.”

Said Dallavalle, “For a moment I believed I could be world champion, but three minutes later Pichardo produced a jump out of this world.”

MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS

FINAL (September 19)

1. Pedro Pichardo (Por) 58-9¼ (17.91)

(56-0, 57-7, 57-7, 56-11½, p, 58-9¼) (17.07, 17.55, 17.55, 17.36, p, 17.91);

2. Andrea Dallavalle (Ita) 57-10½ (17.64) PR

(55-9¼, 55-6½, 56-6¾, 55-11¾, 56-3¼, 57-10½) (17.00, 16.93, 17.24, 17.06, 17.15, 17.64);

3. Lázaro Martínez (Cub) 57-4¾ (17.49)

(56-3¾, 57-4¾, f, f, f, f) (17.16, 17.49, f, f, f, f);

4. Yasser Triki (Alg) 56-7¼ (17.25)

(56-7¼, f, 56-4, f, f, 56-6½) (17.25, f, 17.17, f, f, 17.23);

5. Jordan Scott (Jam) 56-5¾ (17.21)

(f, 56-4¾, 55-7, 54-11¼, 56-5¾, f) (f, 17.19, 16.94, 16.74, 17.21, f);

6. Andy Díaz Hernández (Ita) 56-4¾ (17.19)

(f, 53-7¾, 56-4¾, 55-6½, f, 55-2) (f, 16.35, 17.19, 16.93, f, 16.81);

7. Hugues Fabrice Zango (Bur) 55-6¼ (16.92)

(54-6¾, 54-8¼, 55-6¼, 53-5¾, 55-2¾) (16.63, 16.67, 16.92, 16.30, 16.83);

8. Jonathan Seremes (Fra) 55-2¼ (16.82)

(54-1¾, 55-2¼, 52-10, f, 54-6) (16.50, 16.82, 16.10, f, 16.61);

9. Endiorass Kingley (Aut) 54-10 (16.71)

(54-2½, 54-7½, 54-10, 54-½) (16.52, 16.65, 16.71, 16.47);

10. Wen Su (Chn) 54-8 (16.66)

(f, f, 54-8, 47-8½) (f, f, 16.66, 14.54);

11. Yaming Zhu (Chn) 54-2 (16.51)

(54-2, f, 54-2) (16.51, f, 16.51);

12. Salif Mane (US) 53-5½ (16.29)

(53-5½, 52-3¼, 52-½) (16.29, 15.93, 15.86).

QUALIFYING (September 17; auto-qualifier 56-1¼/17.10)

Qualifiers: Triki 56-7½ (17.26), Scott 56-4¾ (17.19), Pichardo 56-1 (17.09), Dallavalle 56-½ (17.08), Seremes 56-0 (17.07), Zango & Díaz Hernández 55-7 (16.94), Martínez 55-6½ (16.93), Su 55-5½ (16.90), Mane 55-3¾ (16.86), Kingley 55-3½ (16.85) =NR, Zhu 55-2¾ (16.83),

Non-Qualifiers: Almir dos Santos (Bra) 55-1 (16.79), Ruiting Wu (Chn) & Praveen Chithravel (Ind) 54-11¼ (16.74), Ethan Olivier (NZ) 54-5½ (16.60), Chengetayi Mapaya (Zim) 54-5¼ (16.59), Connor Murphy (Aus) 54-4¾ (16.58), Will Claye (US) 54-2½ (16.52), Elton Petronilho (Bra) 54-2 (16.51), Amath Faye (Sen) 54-1¼ (16.49), Andy Hechavarría (Cub) 54-1 (16.48), Kaiwan Culmer (Bah) 53-9¼ (16.39), Abdulla Narangolintevida (Ind) 53-7 (16.33), Leodan Torrealba (Ven) & Sami Bakhit (Sau) 53-4¼ (16.26), Cristian Atanay Nápoles (Cub) 53-2¼ (16.21), Kyu-Min Yu (SK) 53-1½ (16.19), Max Heß (Ger) 52-9½ (16.09), Yoann Awhansou (Ben) 52-4¾ (15.97), Can Özüpek (Tur) 51-4¼ (15.65), Thomas Gogois (Fra) 46-2¾ (14.09); … 3f—Tiago Luís Pereira (Por), Russell Robinson (US);… nm[f, p, p]—Jordan Alejandro Díaz (Spa).

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.