Luis Enrique Zayas has not been able to retain his title at Bansko Brystika and yet he has improved his personal best of the season. Photo: Facebook

Havana, February 2 (RHC/JIT)-- Cuban high jumper Luis Enrique Zayas is one of the figures confirmed for the indoor meeting in Udine, Italy, to be held this Wednesday.

To meet again with the official competitions and try to improve the second place of a year ago are two of the objectives of the Cuban, Pan American champion in Lima-2019 and fifth in the last world championship.

Zayas jumped 2.24 meters in his previous presentation in the Italian event, where he will have among his main rivals the Ukrainian Andrij Prosenki, winner of the previous edition.

The competition will be the first one for him after not having a happy start at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where he was expected to reach the final.

According to the event's official website, a total of 13 contestants will compete in the men's event and eight among women. The Belgian European indoor bronze medalist Thomas Carmoy, the Ukrainian Yulia Levchenko (world silver medalist in London 2017) and the Bulgarian Mirela Demireva (Olympic silver medalist in Rio 2016) are others announced by the organizers.

As a luxury attraction the competition will count for the third consecutive year with the presence of Cuban world record holder Javier Sotomayor.

"I will be there, as always, supporting Luisito and enjoying the whole competition," said to JIT the only man who has been able to surpass the rod over 2.45 meters, a height that for now is far away for the current exponents of the discipline.

"He is in good physical shape and we are expecting a result over 2.25 meters for this first competition of the year," said Juan Francisco Centelles, the Cuban's coach.

Zayas will continue his winter tour in the Czech Republic with interventions in the rallies of Hustopeche (February 5) and Trinec (February 8) and then he will be in the Slovakian event of Banska Bistryka (February 15).

The final goal is set for the World Championships in Belgrade, from March 15 to 18, and besides Zayas, the long jumpers Maikel Massó, Maikel Vidal and Lester Lescay, the triple jumpers Liadagmis Povea and Leyanis Pérez, the pole vaulter Yarisley Silva and the runner Roxana Gómez intend to get there.