Parada and Massó before the Games

San Salvador, July 5 (PL) - Cuban Alejandro Parada, long jump champion at the 24th Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, dedicated his gold medal to his compatriot Maykel Massó, who was injured in that event.

"It was very painful to see an athlete of his level in that situation," said the titleholder about the physical damage suffered in one of the knees in the first jump by the Olympic bronze medalist of Tokyo-2020.

"In the middle of the rain I managed to clear and make Massó and the Cuban jumping team win this gold," added Parada, winner with 7.88 meters at the Jorge "El Mágico" González Stadium in the Salvadoran capital.

Thanks to this performance, the Cuban left in second place the Jamaican Jordan Turner (7.65), while Tristan James, from Dominica, deserved the third place.

On the other hand, Parada thanked and also dedicated the triumph to his coaches and family, and anticipated that he longs to get a medal in the next World Athletics Championships.

He described the competition as very difficult due to the precipitations and confessed that he was afraid of suffering an injury; but in the end, he said, the result came out and I am happy.

According to a communication from the Cuban delegation, Massó travels this Wednesday to Cuba to undergo surgery at the Frank País International Orthopedic Complex in Havana, after being diagnosed with a severe injury in the kneecap of his right leg.

"Very unfortunate. Now the important thing is his treatment and recovery, which we are following in detail," said the president of that entity, Osvaldo Vento, on the social network Twitter.

Vento also heads the Cuban delegation participating in these Centrocaribes, whose closing is scheduled for Saturday.