Tiago Luís Pereira acknowledged this Monday that he was missing a great leap in the triple final of the World Athletics Championships, in Budapest, where the classification made him believe in more.
In Budapest, the Portuguese finished in 11th place, with the 16.26 achieved in the first jump, in the final that he met with Hugues Fabrice Zango, from Burkina Faso, successor to the absent Pedro Pablo Pichardo.
Zango, who had been second in Oregon 2022, behind the Portuguese, Olympic and European champion, won the competition, with 17.64, the worst record of the World Cup winner since Helsinki 2005 [o vencedor foi o norte-americano Walter Davis, com 17,57].
Tiago Pereira registered only one valid jump, according to himself for having tried to secure a place among the eight finalists.
“I don’t like to look for justifications for what happens. It was what it was. I faced the test as I face everyone, leaving everything and it was the setback of the classification. I put the first and risked the other two. I had nothing to lose, I was right and I stayed in the eight or I made the null and I was left out, as it happened, “explained the Sporting jumper.
In the mixed zone of the National Athletics Center, Tiago Pereira rejected the injury to the young Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert, 18, holder of the best mark of the year (17.87) and leader of the classification (17.70), right in the first jump , has confused the development of the contest.
“I focus on what I have to do, on my best jump and today I was not even close to doing it and the failure was there. That is where I have to prepare better, ”he assured, reiterating that the ‘flight’ lacked the intention:” I tried, I did the best I could, it was not enough, it is to prepare the next season in the best way “.
The 29-year-old athlete from Lisbon reached the final with the 16.77 achieved in qualifying, on Saturday, when he achieved the best jump of the year, still far from his personal record (17.11).
“It was a difficult season, qualifying gave me hope to do better, but I couldn’t. [Sábado] It was an exceptional day and it could have been even better. Today I also felt good, but I don’t know what was missing. Maybe I lacked a bit of luck to make a good jump. Even so, the secret is to work harder, ”she stressed.
Asked about the strategy of taking risks in the final jumps, leaving no room for error, Tiago Pereira stressed that he always bets on the first attempt.
“I always take risks on the first jump, but not today. So I don’t usually take risks, but neither to stay among the eight, being ninth or being tenth is the same. I’m not disappointed. , I’m a little sad, because I don’t like to lose, ”she lamented.
Even so, and despite having dropped one place compared to 10th in Oregon 2022, Tiago Pereira points to the future: “I am confident for next season, because these are the moments that make us grow and make us better.”
In the final that found Pichardo’s successor, absent due to injury, in world history, Zango finally climbed to the top of the podium, after silver at Oregon 2022 and Doha 2019 and bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Zango won the first gold medal in World Cups for Burkina Faso, beating the Cubans Lázaro Martínez, silver with 17.41, and Cristian Nápoles, bronze with a personal best of 17.40.
The triple jump is the discipline in which Portugal has won the most medals in World Cups, five – out of a total of 23 -, two of them gold, with Nelson Évora winning the title in Osaka 2007, as well as Pichardo, ahead of the marathon (four) and 10,000 meters (three).
Source: TSF
