By Raúl Rodriguez

Santiago de Chile, November 4 (RHC) -- Cuban triple jumper Lazaro Martinez overcame a discomfort and celebrated twice at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023, winning gold in the triple jump on the same day of his birthday.
 
"It's the first time I spend my birthday in a competition, TV finished", said to journalists the runner-up of Budapest 2023.
 
A leap of 17.19 in the first attempt was enough to take the crown, ahead of Brazil's Almir dos Santos (16.92) and Cuba's Cristian Nápoles (16.66).

Martinez's crown takes on greater significance, since Yoelbis Quesada's pupil has been struggling with an injury since the Centrocaribes in San Salvador, where he also won gold, and here he felt discomfort in his calf muscles.
 
"I've been dealing with an injury since San Salvador. We had to lower the training loads and I showed up at the world championships thanks to the support of Dr. Fidel Frias. Even so, we made it to the silver medal," he said.
 
"Now I felt a discomfort after the second jump and that's why I gave up the other attempts, although I was ready to jump if any rival pressured me", he argued.
 
With the victory of Lázaro Martínez Cuba regained the triple jump title, ceded to the American Omar Craddock in Lima-2019, and won its fifth gold in the athletics competition.