Pedro Pichardo is the World Triple Jump Champion

Pedro Pablo Pichardo won, early this morning, the title of World Champion in the triple jump, in Eugene, USA, when he "flew" 17.95 meters on his first attempt.

The Sport Lisboa e Benfica triple jumper added the title of World Champion to the gold medal won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, on August 5, 2021, with 17.95 meters in the first jump, in what was the best world mark of the year.

The 29-year-old Portuguese athlete overcame Hugues Fabrice Zango, from Burkina Faso, and Chinese Yaming Zhu, who, with 17.55 and 17.31, respectively, finished in second and third positions.

Pichardo became the seventh Portuguese to win a world title in athletics, winning the first medal for Portugal in Eugene 2022.

"This medal belongs to Portugal" the now World Champion emphasized, admitting he also felt "a great emotion" for having achieved "a title that was missing".

"I dedicate the victory to my father [and coach, Jorge Pichardo], to the family, to the club, and to the country, Portugal, which gave me the opportunity to pursue my career at the highest level, but also to the Setúbal and Palmela City Halls and Pinhal Novo. To all my team, to the national team and to all of Portugal, I thank you very much”, claimed Pichardo.

"I'm very ambitious, I'm happy, it was a title I was missing, but I won't hide that I wanted to jump 18 meters. The season is not over yet, and I will keep trying”, he promised.