Sotomayor and his son Jaxier
Havana, March 4 (RHC)-- The best high jumper in history, Javier Sotomayor, celebrated in the last hours the 35th anniversary of his first indoor world record and the new personal best achieved by one of his five sons.
"Thirty-five years old today is my indoor world record. 2.43," the Barcelona 92 Olympic champion and multiple world record holder wrote on Facebook on Monday.
"Today I celebrate with you (colleagues and friends) this anniversary together with the personal best of Jaxier (Sotomayor) achieved yesterday in Madrid," added the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports.
The 56-year-old Soto added that he celebrates his record in "capital letters without arrogance. If Gardel says that 20 years are nothing, I assure you that 35 represent a lifetime devoted to sport.
He said to keep in his memory the memories as in "photographic tape", referring to that March 4, 1989 at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest (Hungary), when he broke the mark of Carlo Thränhardt and equaled the outdoor world record, which he had achieved in July 1988, in Salamanca, Spain.
It was a dream day, because he thus achieved the 4 world records recognized at that time by the International Federation (IAAF)," he continued, referring to the U18, U20, indoor and outdoor world records.
Regarding the new record achieved by one of his heirs just before the 35th anniversary of his record, he expressed that his happiness "overflows.
"The third of my heroes, Jaxier (my third J) has managed to jump over two meters and win in the Absolute Club Indoor Championships in Madrid (2.01), a height we have been working on and which has come at a very special moment for me," said Soto, who is the boy's own coach.
"We achieved a first goal, you've done it at 16 years old! Keep pushing, goals come from within! Nice gift! This date I will also keep with great relevance. Once again... daddy loves you, I am so proud of you. Congratulations," wrote on Facebook the illustrious son of Limonar (western Cuba).
In recent months there have been many tributes and invitations for Sotomayor, who at the end of last year received in Miami the Leyenda de Panam Sports award and a similar one last January at the Gala of the prestigious newspaper Mundo Deportivo (Barcelona). In addition, last week he was invited by Mutaz Barshim to a competition in Qatar, in which the Qatari, the Swedish Patrick Sjoeberg and Sotomayor, three of the historical kings of the specialty, joined for the first time.
Sotomayor achieved several world records in his career, the first of them when he was only 16 years old (1984), when he jumped 2.33, a mark that still stands in that category.
In 1988 he achieved his first world record in Salamanca (2.43), a year later he set the same indoor record in Budapest and jumped 2.44 in San Juan, and in 1993 he jumped 2.45 again in Salamanca, a record that still stands today.
