Irving Saladino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Irving Saladino

Irving Saladino, Gold Medalist at Athletics World Championship 2007
Personal information
Full name	Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda
Born	(1983-01-23) January 23, 1983 (age 42) Colón, Colón Province, Panamá
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
Country	Panama
Sport	Men's Athletics
Event(s)	Long jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Long jump: 8.73 m
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Panama Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Long jump World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka Long jump World Indoor Championships Silver 2006 Moscow Long jump Ibero-American Championships Gold 2006 Ponce Long jump Pan American Games Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Long jump South American Games Gold 2014 Santiago Long jump South American Championships Bronze 2003 Barquisimeto Long jump Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2006 Cartagena Long jump Central American Games Gold 2010 Ciudad de Panamá Long jump Gold 2013 San José Long jump South American Under-23 Championships Gold 2004 Barquisimeto Long jump Central American Championships Gold 2002 San José Long jump Silver 2002 San José Triple jump Bronze 2002 San José 4 × 100 m relay CAC Junior Championships (U20) Bronze 2002 Bridgetown Long jump

Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda (born January 23, 1983) is a famous former long jumper from Panama. He made history by winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This made him Panama's first and only Olympic gold medalist. He also became a world champion in long jump in 2007. Irving Saladino competed in three Olympic Games and four World Championships.

He won many other awards during his career. These include silver at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. He also earned gold medals at the Pan American Games and Central American Games. His best long jump was 8.73 meters, set in 2008. This jump ranks him among the top ten long jumpers of all time. He had the longest jumps in the world in both 2006 and 2008.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Irving Saladino was born in Colón, Colón Province, Panama. He started his journey in athletics early. In 2006, he achieved a new South American indoor record. He jumped 8.29 meters at the World Indoor Championships, earning a silver medal.

Golden League Success

In 2006, Saladino was very successful in the IAAF Golden League. He won five out of six events. This earned him a lot of prize money. His only loss was in Paris, where he finished second. In May 2006, he set a new South American record. He jumped 8.56 meters, showing his amazing talent.

Becoming a World Champion

Irving Saladino continued to impress in 2007. He started the season with the longest jump of the year. He jumped 8.53 meters in Rio de Janeiro. On May 24, 2008, he set his personal best. At the FBK Games in Hengelo, he jumped an incredible 8.73 meters.

Pan American Games and World Championships

Saladino was chosen to carry Panama's flag. This was at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. On August 30, 2007, he became a World Champion in Osaka. He was leading with a jump of 8.46 meters. Then, another athlete, Andrew Howe, jumped 8.47 meters. But on his very last try, Saladino jumped 8.57 meters. This amazing jump won him the gold medal!

Olympic Glory in Beijing

Irving Saladino competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. On August 18, 2008, he made history for Panama. He won the gold medal in the long jump competition. His winning jump was 8.34 meters. This was Panama's first Olympic medal since 1948. It was also their first ever Olympic gold medal. This made him a national hero in Central America.

A Hero's Welcome Home

When he returned to Panama on August 21, 2008, he was celebrated. Government offices and schools were closed in his honor. At a special ceremony, famous boxer Roberto Durán presented him with the gold medal again. The President of Panama, Martin Torrijos, honored him. He announced that a sports facility would be named after Saladino. He also gave him a check for 50,000 U.S. dollars. Thousands of Panamanians cheered for their hero.

Later Career and Retirement

Saladino also qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was chosen to be Panama's flag bearer again. However, he faced an injury and did not perform as well. His performance started to decline after 2011. Even though he managed to jump 8.16 meters in 2014, he announced his retirement in August of that year.

Personal Best Jumps

• Long jump: 8.73 m – Hengelo, Netherlands, May 24, 2008
• Triple jump: 14.51 m – San José, Costa Rica, October 11, 2002

Major International Competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Panama
2002	Central American Junior Championships (U20)	Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala	1st	Long jump	7.51 m
			1st	Triple jump	14.48 m
	Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20)	Bridgetown, Barbados	3rd	Long jump	7.39 m
			6th	Triple jump	14.38 m
	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	10th (q)	Long jump	7.30 m
	Central American Championships	San José, Costa Rica	1st	Long jump	7.18 m
			2nd	Triple jump	14.51 m
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	42.86
2003	South American Championships	Barquisimeto, Venezuela	3rd	Long jump	7.46 m
2004	South American Under-23 Championships	Barquisimeto, Venezuela	1st	Long jump	7.74 m
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	36th (q)	Long jump	7.42 m
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	6th	Long jump	8.20 m w
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	2nd	Long jump	8.29 m AR
	Ibero-American Championships	Ponce, Puerto Rico	1st	Long jump	8.42 m
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Cartagena, Colombia	1st	Long jump	8.29 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	Long jump	8.41 m
	World Cup	Athens, Greece	1st	Long jump	8.26 m
2007	Pan American Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	Long jump	8.28 m
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	1st	Long jump	8.57 m AR
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	Long jump	8.34 m
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	4th	Long jump	8.16
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	12th (q)	Long jump	7.80 m
	Central American Games	Panama City, Panama	1st	Long jump	8.19 m GR
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	22nd (q)	Long jump	7.84 m
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	—	Long jump	NM
2013	Central American Games	San José, Costa Rica	1st	Long jump	7.99 m
	South American Championships	Cartagena, Colombia	3rd	Long jump	7.94 m
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	11th (q)	Long jump	7.94 m
	South American Games	Santiago, Chile	1st	Long jump	8.16 m

See also

In Spanish: Irving Saladino para niños