Sotomayor is received by the Mayor of Guadalajara
Madrid, August 9 (RHC) - Javier Sotomayor, the Cuban high jump world record holder, was received by the Mayor of Guadalajara, Ana Guarinos, and the Sports Councilor, Armengol Engonga, in homage to the thirty years since his world record of 2.45 meters in outdoor high jump, which still stands and is one of the longest-standing records in the history of athletics.
Sotomayor is one of the great legends of athletics, and his extensive list of achievements includes the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona'92, six world championship titles, and the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 1993. Furthermore, he still holds the world record for outdoor high jump (2.45 meters since 1993 in Salamanca) as well as indoor high jump (2.43 meters since 1989).
Sotomayor attended the reception in his honor at the City Hall of Guadalajara, accompanied by the Cuban delegation that trains in the city, as well as his five children, including Jaxier, a high jumper who also trains in Guadalajara and recently became the Spanish champion in the sub-16 category.
Sotomayor divides his time between Spain and Cuba. He lives in Guadalajara with his entire family, although he is involved in business activities in Cuba and owns a bar in Havana called '2.45,' named after the legendary height he surpassed three decades ago. Additionally, he remains connected to the Cuban Athletics Federation.
Ana Guarinos, the Mayor of Guadalajara, congratulated Javier Sotomayor for maintaining the record's validity and highlighted the city's connection to athletics, the Cuban national team, and many other elite athletes who choose it as a training base, such as Spanish athlete Ana Peleteiro and Venezuelan world champion Yulimar Rojas, who train under the guidance of Iván Pedroso.
"Having sports references like Javier Sotomayor in the city, who carry and proudly represent the name and the city of Guadalajara wherever they go, is a true honor. Guadalajara will once again become a reference in sports, a sports city, both because of the importance of sports in professional and personal life, as well as the values it represents: effort, sacrifice, discipline, overcoming challenges, teamwork, and others," said Guarinos.
In recognition and gratitude to Javier Sotomayor, the mayor presented him with a replica of the seal of the city of Guadalajara from the first half of the 13th century.
The reception was also attended by the manager of the Cuban national team, José Luis Aguilera; the provincial delegate of athletics from the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, Julián García García; Eladio Freijo, and relatives of Juanjo Díaz, who was the athletics delegate in Guadalajara when the Cuban national team arrived in the city. (Source: EFE)
