Background
Pedroso was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1972.
Long jump
Athens, Greece
Ivan Pedroso of Cuba competes in the men's long jump final on August 26, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Olympic Stadium in the Sports Complex.
Sydney, Australia
Olympic Games Gold Medal
Pedroso was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1972.
Iván started in athletics at the age of twelve years, tilt which was favoured by certain factors, such as living near the stadium that was built on the occasion of the 1991 Pan American Games, as well as the special treatment they received the elite athletes in Cuba, far above the rest of the population.
With just seventeen years old, Pedroso had surpassed the eight-metre barrier. He was fourth at the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992. The following year an injury prevented him from play the World Championships Stuttgart, but revenge was taken in 1995, Sestriere, Italy, when he snatched the hegemony to the Americans in the long jump with a mark of 8.96 meters that left behind the record of Mike Powell. Although his jump was recorded for history it was not admitted as an officer since weather conditions were in his favor. In addition, that same year made the best world mark of the season in Salamanca (8.71 meters). An injury prevented him from done with a new gold in the Atlanta 96 games, but in 1997, Pedroso executed in Liévin (France) the second best jump in history on track covered with a brand of 8.60, only surpassed by American Carl Lewis, who had flown to 8.79 in 1984.
On March 7, 1999, during the world indoor celebrated in Japan, he saw threatening its gold when the Spanish young Yago Lamela leaped 8.56. Pedroso had to exceed this length (had jumped 8.46). In the sixth and last jump it flew through the air and fell in the sand to 8.62 meters. It returned to the top of the podium, but it did need lifetime indoor best mark to end the resistance of the Spanish young. The Pedroso-Lamela duel again repeated at the World Championships held in Seville in August 1999. As they advertised the odds, the Spanish Yago Lamela won silver with a jump of 8,40 m, and Iván Pedroso gold adding 16 inches more to the brand of the Spanish, with a spectacular jump of 8,56 m.
The Cuban jumper progression unstoppable continued and got Olympic champion in Sydney 2000, and for the fourth time in his career, Edmonton 2001 World champion. Fate prevented the Cuban to proclaim in 2003 downed world because his right ankle injury deprived of the final jump in Paris.