Iván Pedroso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Iván Pedroso

Personal information
Born	(1972-12-17) December 17, 1972 (age 52) Havana, Cuba
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Medal record Representing  Cuba Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Long jump World Championships Gold 1995 Gothenburg Long jump Gold 1997 Athens Long jump Gold 1999 Sevilla Long jump Gold 2001 Edmonton Long jump World Indoor Championships Gold 1993 Toronto Long jump Gold 1995 Barcelona Long jump Gold 1997 Paris Long jump Gold 1999 Maebashi Long jump Gold 2001 Lisbon Long jump Pan American Games Gold 1995 Mar del Plata Long jump Gold 1999 Winnipeg Long jump Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Long jump Bronze 1991 Havana Long jump Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 1998 Maracaibo Long jump Silver 2006 Cartagena Long jump Summer Universiade Gold 1997 Catania Long jump

Iván Lázaro Pedroso Soler (born December 17, 1972) is a famous retired athlete from Cuba. He was a master of the long jump, which is an event in track and field where athletes run and then jump as far as they can into a sand pit. Today, Iván is a successful coach for other amazing athletes like Yulimar Rojas and Jordan Díaz.

Iván Pedroso: A Long Jump Legend

Iván Pedroso was born in Havana, Cuba. He showed incredible talent from a young age. By July 1990, when he was just 17, Iván had already jumped more than eight meters. This is a very impressive distance for a long jumper.

Early Career and Rising Star

In the early 1990s, Iván faced tough competition from other famous long jumpers like Carl Lewis and Mike Powell. Despite this, he won many gold medals in international competitions. He almost always finished in first place, showing his amazing skill.

Becoming a World Champion

After Mike Powell and Carl Lewis retired, Iván Pedroso became the top long jumper in the world. He won many indoor and outdoor World Championships. From 1997 to 2001, he won every major championship. This included a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

In 1995, Iván made a huge jump of 8.96 meters in Sestriere, Italy. This jump was one centimeter longer than the world record held by Mike Powell. However, the Italian Athletics Federation did not officially approve the record. This was because a person might have blocked the wind measuring device, making the wind reading unreliable.

Olympic Dreams and Challenges

Even though Iván had great success at the World Championships, he faced some challenges at the Olympic Games. In Barcelona 1992, at just 19 years old, he finished fourth. At the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, injuries made it difficult for him, and he finished 12th.

His most memorable Olympic moment came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In a thrilling competition, Iván won the gold medal with his very last jump! In the 2004 Olympics, he finished 7th.

Life After Competing

Iván Pedroso officially announced his retirement from competing on September 26, 2007. His best official jump was 8.71 meters, which he achieved in Salamanca in 1995.

After retiring, Iván became a highly respected coach. He has coached many successful athletes. These include Teddy Tamgho, who was a World Champion in triple jump in 2013. He also coaches Yulimar Rojas, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2020, and Jordan Díaz, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2024. Iván is also a cousin of the hurdler Aliuska López.

Amazing Achievements

Iván Pedroso won many important medals throughout his career. Here are some of his biggest achievements:

• Olympic Games:
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
• World Championships (Outdoor):
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1995 Gothenburg.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1997 Athens.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1999 Sevilla.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 2001 Edmonton.
• World Indoor Championships:
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1993 Toronto.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1995 Barcelona.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1997 Paris.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1999 Maebashi.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 2001 Lisbon.
• Pan American Games:
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1995 Mar del Plata.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1999 Winnipeg.
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 2003 Santo Domingo.
• Central American and Caribbean Games:
  • Gold medal in Long Jump at 1998 Maracaibo.

See also

In Spanish: Iván Pedroso para niños