Maykel Massó

Havana, July 5 (RHC) - Long jumper Maykel Massó will travel to Cuba on Wednesday to undergo surgery on the injury he suffered in the middle of the competition at the Centrocaribes in San Salvador.

The head of the Cuban delegation in the regional competition informed that Massó suffered "the rupture of the right patellar tendon, an important element in the extensor mechanism of the knee" and added that "this rupture also caused the dislocation of the kneecap and its corresponding hemarthrosis".

In his first attempt in the long jump final, in which he was the favorite, Massó (24 years old) slipped when he made contact with the board as he was about to take off and fell heavily in the jumping box with visible signs of pain.

The note issued added that the Tokyo-2020 Olympic medalist and world champion in his junior stage was assessed by the competition doctors and transferred to the hospital designated by the organizers for his initial assessment.

"He then received specialized attention in another facility, where the diagnosis was established," so it was decided that he would travel this Wednesday morning, with the required accompaniment, to receive surgical medical treatment at the Frank País International Orthopedic Complex.

The Cuban delegation also thanked the professionalism and good treatment given to the Cuban athlete in Salvadoran territory.

In Massó's absence, another Cuban, the young Alejandro Parada, dominated the long jump final held under a persistent rain and regained for the island the crown in that event after 25 years.