Irving Saladino

Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda (born 23 January 1983) is a Panamanian long jumper. He is the current World and Olympic champion, and Panama's first Olympic gold medallist.

Saladino was born in Colón, Panama.

At the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships he finished second with a new South American indoor record of 8.29 metres. In 2006 he won five (Oslo, Rome, Zurich, Brussel, Berlin) out of six Golden League events in the same season, which earned him a total of $83,333. His only defeat was in Paris where he was second. With 8.56 metres achieved in May 2006 he became the South American record holder.

The 2006 world leader in the long jump, Saladino launched his 2007 season with the furthest leap of the year, 8.53m (-0.2 m/s wind), to capture the victory at the “Grande Prêmio Rio Caixa de Atletismo”, held in Rio de Janeiro on May 13th, 2007. On 24 May 2008, Saladino achieved a new personal record. During the FBK-Games in Hengelo, Saladino jumped with his first attempt to 8.73m (+1.2 m/s wind).

On 30 August 2007 Saladino became the World Champion in Osaka. He led with the mark of 8.30 metres from his second attempt, then improved to 8.46 m, until the penultimate jump of the contest, when he was overtaken by Andrew Howe who signed 8.47 m. Saladino was able to earn the gold medal on the last attempt of the contest, in which he jumped 8.57 m.

Saladino competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where he made history in Central America and his country, Panama, by winning the Gold Medal in the long jump competition on 18 August, 2008, with a jump of 8.34 meters, giving Panama their first Olympic medal since the 1948 Summer Olympics, and their first gold ever. [ [http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/athletics/n214561122.shtml Saladino leaps into history with Panama's first Athletics gold] , Official Olympics site] . This is also the first Olympic gold medal ever won in a men's event by an athlete from Central America.

On 21 August 2008 after winning Olympic gold, he arrived to Panama a national hero. Government offices and public schools were closed in honor of him so that public servants were able to attend a parade through Panama City. At a welcoming ceremony, Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Duran presented the Olympic gold medal to Irving Saladino for a second time. Martin Torrijos, President of Panama, announced a decree to name a sports facility in the Villa Deportiva in Juan Díaz after Saladino and granted a check to him for 50,000 U.S. dollars. Also, Ruben Blades performed the song "Patria" (Motherland) in front of thousands of cheering Panamanians.

Achievements

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