PICHARDO Pedro

General
FROM CUBA TO PORTUGAL
He represented Cuba earlier in his career, competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the world championships in 2013 and 2015. In 2017 he decided to leave Cuba to start a new life in Portugal, where he joined the Benfica athletics club. He made his international debut for Portugal the following year. "I left Cuba for my family and to be able to train with my father. I think the objective was reached and is being reached. Whenever I am with my family and training with my father I'm going to be alright. The balance is very good." (rfi.fr, 26 Sep 2019)

SANCTION
In March 2014 he was banned from competing for the Cuban national team for one year after refusing to train with coach Ricardo Ponce. He returned to competition in May 2015. "It was positive for me. To be sanctioned is not good, but the impact was positive because it refreshed my feet and mind, and I was able to reconnect with my potential as a jumper." (deporcuba.com, 17 Feb 2016; diariodecuba.com, 09 May 2015)

At age 20 years and 49 days he became the youngest athlete from any country to have won a medal in triple jump at the world championships when he claimed silver at the 2013 edition of the tournament in Moscow, Russian Federation. (SportsDeskOnline, 21 Feb 2020)