sports

Saladino records best indoor leap

Panama’s champion long jumper added another title to his impressive list of accomplishments.

He has now returned to his training center in Brazil where he is preparing for a meet in March in Spain.

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A long way:Panama’s world champion Irving Saladino is seen winning a meet in Greece. He set a personal record for an indoor competition in winning the event.983888

Panamanian Irving "El Canguro" Saladino set a personal best in the indoor long junp in winning a meet in Athens, Greece.

Saladino leaped 8.42 meters at the meet. His previous indoor record was 8.29 meters, which he set at a meet in Russia in 2006.

Saladino is the reigning world champion in the long jump. His personal best, which he recorded in winning the outdoor world championship in Japan last August, is 8.57 meters.

His nearest competitor, Luis Tsatoumas of Greece, recorded a jump of 7.98 meters.

Saladino's victory was marred, however, by an ankle injury that he suffered at the competition, which limited him to just two jumps.

His father, David Saladino, said he talked to his son after the event.

"It was a short conversation, but he said that he only made two jumps because he twisted his right ankle in his second attempt."

The injury does not appear to be serious, the father said.

Irving Saladino will now return to Brazil, where he is training for the upcoming World Cup in Spain scheduled for March 7-9. That meet will be a warm-up for the Olympic Games in China this summer.