The triple jumper Jordan Díaz, gold medalist at the Paris Olympic Games, says he is happy to be “part of the history of Spain”
EFE (via 14ymedio), Zaragoza, 19 August 2024 — The Olympic champion in triple jump, Jordan Díaz, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2021 to seek a “better future” for himself and his family, said that this decision and his subsequent result at the Olympic Games in Paris is proof that “every sacrifice done well has its reward.”
The gold-medal winner stopped in Zaragoza to visit his uncle, a well-known hotelier whose restaurant employees paid tribute to Díaz. Díaz shared in an interview with EFE that he is “very excited” for what he has accomplished and for “being able to be part of the history of Spain,” a course that was set when he decided to stay in that country.
Despite not being able to see his family since 2021, Díaz is aware that “life is short and you have to make the most of everything.” He chose to continue with his fight to be World Champion, to achieve the triple jump crown and to repeat it at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
’I was looking for a better future for my family and for me; that’s why I deserted the Cuban team,’ said the athlete
EFE: How do you feel after having been able to taste, a bit more, the triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris?
Díaz: I’m quite happy with the whole result, to be honest. Not only with Paris, which, of course, is a dream. I am also very excited about the season I have finished, because I wasn’t able to compete much due to pain and injuries. I won the European championship in Rome with 18.18 meters, which is the third best score in history. Right now I’m on vacation. I needed to rest both mentally and physically, and I wanted to visit my family.
EFE: How long were the seconds from when you jumped until you landed?
Díaz: Wow… It’s so difficult! You’re just thinking about the technique and how you’re going to fall. You don’t think about anything else, neither sports nor emotions. You’re focused, and although you know that a medal can change your life completely, you don’t think about it much. I’m very happy with the season I’ve done, although I haven’t been able to compete much due to injuries.
EFE: The moment you saw your score did you think you could win the gold medal?
Díaz: No, not at all. I had a score that the first five athletes could have beat. However, I understood that in the Olympics, the pressure, the level of competition and tension could have an influence. There were also a lot of people in the competition. I tried to do my best in the sequences. I think it was a good competition in terms of stability, and I am happy with the result.
’The road has been quite difficult. Starting with the fact that I left my family and my whole life in Cuba’
EFE: Before Paris there have been many struggles. If you look back, how has the path been and what was the key to getting here?
Díaz: The road has been quite difficult. Starting with the fact that I left my family and my whole life in Cuba. I was looking for a better future for my family and me; that’s why I deserted the Cuban delegation. That motivation and that impulse has made me do what I’m doing now. Every sacrifice done well has its reward.
EFE: Is it worth it, therefore, to have left everything behind?
Díaz: Yes, of course. Life is short and you have to make the most of everything. I am happy for everything I am achieving and for being part of the history of Spain. It’s the goal I set myself when I stayed in this country. The truth is that little by little it is being fulfilled, and yes, as people say, there is still a lot of work to be done.
EFE: Did you dream of these Olympic Games?
Díaz: It is the goal of any athlete. It’s the biggest thing you can get! Another goal may be to have the world record. I don’t have it, but it still remains for me to be the first world champion to access the triple crown.
EFE: What is your link with Zaragoza?
Díaz: My uncle lives here, so I wanted to come and visit him. He has helped me since the first day I decided to stay in Spain. I spent three months with him, so he also deserves the medal and to celebrate it together. Everything that is happening to me is, in part, thanks to his help.
EFE: Do you think that with this triumph and, in addition, being the standard-bearer of the Spanish team at the closing of the Olympic Games, athletics is given the space it deserves?
Díaz: It’s a prize for a job well done. María (Pérez) won gold and silver medals [for Spain] in mixed race walking, and I won gold. Highlighting it may make everything that is done in athletics be recognized beyond the recognition that soccer has. Being a standard-bearer at the closing with María is an award for a job well done; highlighting it may make everything that Spanish athletics does be recognized.
’From long before competing in the final, I already had received a lot of support in the stands and from the organization’
EFE: What was the feedback you received when you returned from Paris?
Díaz: I’m not much of a social networker, but, from the little I’ve seen, I think I’ve been quite supported. I am very grateful. From long before competing in the final, I already had received a lot of support in the stands and from the organization. Having support is the best. I like that they recognize the job and, of course, it’s always good for other competitions.
EFE: And how are you facing the future?
Díaz: I’ll try to find some other dream. My dream was this, to be an Olympic champion. There are still four years left for the next Olympic Games and I’m not going to become lost in that either. Now I have to think about other things.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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