Pedro Pichardo, the master of the triple jump, has once again defied expectations. In the bustling capital of Japan, he secured his second World Championship gold medal. This historic win makes him the first Portuguese athlete ever to claim two world titles in track and field.
Pichardo, now 32, returned to a stadium that holds special memories. It was the same venue where he won Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were held a year later. With this latest victory, he joins an exclusive group of five Portuguese athletes with two or more major medals. Yet, he stands alone as the only one with two championship golds.
This triumph comes after a turbulent year. Pichardo recently parted ways with his club, Benfica, citing “irreconcilable differences.” This public disagreement involved Ana Oliveira, the director of the club’s Olympic project and someone who had a hand in bringing him to the club back in 2017.
Just a year ago, Pichardo faced setbacks. He was beaten twice by Jordan Díaz, a Cuban-born athlete who now represents Spain. These losses happened at the Rome 2024 European Championships, where Pichardo questioned the measurement of Díaz’s best jump, and again at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Díaz was not present for this latest world title defense due to an injury. Despite these recent challenges, Pichardo has reclaimed his top spot.
Japan’s capital continues to be a lucky place for Pichardo. He has amassed nearly ten medals for Portugal in major competitions. His collection includes three from outdoor World Championships, two from the Olympics, two from outdoor European Championships, one from the indoor World Championships, and two from indoor European Championships.
Before joining Portugal, Pichardo also earned significant medals for Cuba. He won bronze at the Moscow 2013 World Championships and silver at the Sopot 2014 indoor Worlds. As a Cuban, he also achieved an impressive jump of 18.08 meters in 2015, four centimeters more than his current Portuguese national record set in Rome 2024. His ultimate goal remains to break the world record of 18.29 meters, held by Britain’s Jonathan Edwards, as a Portuguese citizen. That dream still waits to be fulfilled.
His disagreements with Benfica happened before the Paris 2024 Games. Pichardo also voiced strong opinions about the lack of national support for sports other than football. He even publicly stated his desire to meet with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to discuss the issue. The dispute with Benfica came to a head in January when he requested a unilateral termination of his contract.
While that legal battle is still pending, Pichardo signed with Italian club ATL-Etica, based in San Vendemiano, in March. This move meant he would skip the winter season, including the Apeldoorn 2025 European Championships and the Nanjing 2025 World Championships. Pichardo has never been one to avoid conflict. His past rivalry with Nelson Évora, another decorated Portuguese athlete with four World Championship medals, now seems like ancient history. Fernanda Ribeiro also holds four World Championship medals.
Putting controversies aside, Pichardo, now a two-time Olympic medalist, was born in Santiago de Cuba on June 30, 1993. From a young age, he showed immense promise for “big flights.” His most shining moment before this win was in the very stadium where he is now celebrated as Portugal’s first two-time world champion: his Olympic title at Tokyo 2020. This is just one of many global stages Pichardo has dominated. He won the junior world championship in 2012 and was the senior vice-champion the following year. In 2015, he joined the elite group of triple jumpers who have cleared more than 18 meters, a list that includes the world record holder, Jonathan Edwards.
Pichardo’s path has been filled with twists. He missed his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 due to a microfracture in his ankle, a decision made by the Cuban national team doctors. He then fell out with the Cuban federation, which prevented his father, who is his constant companion, from being his coach. This led to his suspension. In April 2017, he left a national team training camp in Stuttgart, Germany. He traveled to Portugal, where he was welcomed as a refugee and signed with Benfica. This move was possible thanks to the intervention of Ana Oliveira, the former jumper and club official with whom he is now at odds.
“We learned of Pedro’s decision, and following Benfica’s strategy, we extended an invitation. He accepted immediately because he already knew the club,” Ana Oliveira told Lusa at the time. “Everything proceeded naturally, even if some people didn’t grasp the impact of this signing. We are proud of what we did, because Pedro is now a well-integrated and fulfilled Portuguese citizen.”
The then-Cuban athlete was Benfica’s answer to Nelson Évora’s move to rival club Sporting. Seven months later, in November 2017, Pichardo became a Portuguese citizen. This process was fully recognized by the international federation in October of the following year. In his debut wearing national colors, he placed fourth at the 2019 World Championships before winning the indoor European championship title in 2021.
Pichardo is known for avoiding interviews. He enjoys the Algarve, which reminds him of his homeland, and he likes Portuguese food, though he’s not a fan of traditional cod. He claimed the national record in 2018 with a jump of 17.95 meters at the Doha Diamond League, an event he would later win. He improved that record to 18.04 meters last June. However, that jump, like his latest triumph, was not enough to surpass Jordan Díaz’s best.
Before their relationship soured, Benfica’s Olympic project director described him as someone who enjoys music and movies at home, highlighting his “great sense of humor.” “His priorities are always family and his profession, in that order,” Oliveira revealed after Tokyo 2020. “He is very focused and disciplined. Beyond titles and medals, he has a very strong goal: to break the world record as a Portuguese citizen.” That enduring dream, it seems, must still wait.