Cuba falls short of its brightest showing in Diamond League final

Cuba lost one reign and saw another promising competitor leave early because of physical discomfort on the opening day of the Diamond League finals in Brussels.

Leyanis Pérez finished second in the triple jump with a 14.82-meter effort on her third attempt, ending her bid for a third consecutive title by 14 centimeters. She opened with 14.79 meters, but Senegal's Saly Sarr responded in the second round with a jump just five centimeters short of 15 meters, then improved to 14.96. Three of Pérez's remaining four attempts were invalid. Cuba's Davisleydi Velazco finished third with 14.73.

Liadagmis Povea placed sixth with 14.08 meters. The article also said Velazco has reached new terms with Cuba's national federation and will represent it at next weekend's Ultimate World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. That could bring together a strong Cuban trio in the event.

The long jump brought a more worrying development. Jorge Hodelín competed only once, recording 6.81 meters, which left him seventh and last, before withdrawing. National commissioner Rolando Charroo told Granma that the Cuban felt discomfort and that officials decided to stop him to protect him while awaiting clinical results.

Jamaica's Tajay Gayle won with a final-round jump of 8.46 meters, overtaking Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, who had led from the fourth round with 8.40. Switzerland's Simon Ehammer finished third. In the 110-meter hurdles, Kendry Menéndez, who is not affiliated with the federation, placed fourth in 13.32 seconds, behind an all-American podium led by Ja'Kobe Tharp in 13.03.