Irving Saladino claims Panama’s first ever Olympic gold
Mon 18/08/2008 15:41
Panama’s Irving Saladino won the central American country’s first ever Olympic gold medal, taking victory in the men’s long jump final with a leap of 8.34m.
He also succeeded in putting his country on the international athletics map.
“Panama to the rest of the world is probably best known for a canal and the American invasion in the 1980s. If you talk about sport and Panama, a few people might mention baseball but I’d like to get them thinking about athletics as well,” said Saladino, who prepared for Beijing by spending a month in the Spanish capital Madrid.
In contrast to many of the more muscular specimens in the long jump final, Saladino is remarkably thin, a physique that has gained him the affectionate nickname ‘Skinny Saladino’ among some of his rivals.
“Hopefully, if I win the Olympic gold they will not call me that anymore,” joked Saladino.
Like all the jumpers, Saladino had to battle against relatively unhelpful wind conditions.
South Africa’s Godfrey Mokoena took the silver medal with his fourth round effort of 8.24m, which briefly took the lead until Saladino bounced back with his winning jump a few minutes later.
Cuba’s Ibrahim Camejo moved from fifth to third when he jumped 8.20m with his sixth and final attempt.
With the leading trio celebrating their medals, there was only heartache for Britain’s Greg Rutherford.
The Milton Keynes athlete suffered problems with his run up missed a fantastic opportunity to add to his 2006 European silver medal and could only manage 7.84m for 10th place.
There was also disappointment in for Athens silver medallist Louis Tsatoumas who fouled all of his three attempts.
Mon 18/08/2008 15:41
Panama’s Irving Saladino won the central American country’s first ever Olympic gold medal, taking victory in the men’s long jump final with a leap of 8.34m.
He also succeeded in putting his country on the international athletics map.
“Panama to the rest of the world is probably best known for a canal and the American invasion in the 1980s. If you talk about sport and Panama, a few people might mention baseball but I’d like to get them thinking about athletics as well,” said Saladino, who prepared for Beijing by spending a month in the Spanish capital Madrid.
In contrast to many of the more muscular specimens in the long jump final, Saladino is remarkably thin, a physique that has gained him the affectionate nickname ‘Skinny Saladino’ among some of his rivals.
“Hopefully, if I win the Olympic gold they will not call me that anymore,” joked Saladino.
Like all the jumpers, Saladino had to battle against relatively unhelpful wind conditions.
South Africa’s Godfrey Mokoena took the silver medal with his fourth round effort of 8.24m, which briefly took the lead until Saladino bounced back with his winning jump a few minutes later.
Cuba’s Ibrahim Camejo moved from fifth to third when he jumped 8.20m with his sixth and final attempt.
With the leading trio celebrating their medals, there was only heartache for Britain’s Greg Rutherford.
The Milton Keynes athlete suffered problems with his run up missed a fantastic opportunity to add to his 2006 European silver medal and could only manage 7.84m for 10th place.
There was also disappointment in for Athens silver medallist Louis Tsatoumas who fouled all of his three attempts.
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