Pedro Pérez
Pedro Damián Pérez Dueñas (; February 23, 1952 – July 18, 2018) was a
Cuban
triple jumper, who set the
world record in the men's triple jump event on August 5, 1971, jumping 17.40 metres, while still a 19-year-old Junior athlete, in the final of the
Pan American Games. His mark was a centimeter improvement over the three-year-old record of
Viktor Sanyeyev set as the last of 5 world record improvements during the 1968 Olympics emphasizing the
advantage of jumping at altitude. Cali, Colombia is also considered at altitude. While Sanyeyev reclaimed the record at sea level in
Sukhumi, the next record in succession by
João Carlos de Oliveira was also set at altitude in
Mexico City and lasted ten more years. While he was the standing world record holder during the 1972 Olympics, he only managed a 15.72 and did not get out of the qualifying round. He improved four years later, taking the early lead in the final before eventually finishing in fourth place.
Pérez was born in
Pinar del Río, Cuba. He died on July 18, 2018, at the age of 66.
Provided by Wikipedia