Andy Díaz takes European triple jump gold with 18.15m leap, Pichardo silver in Birmingham

The final

Pedro Pablo Pichardo opened the triple jump final at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium on Saturday with 17.76m on his first attempt, his best mark of the season, and took the provisional lead. The 33-year-old Portuguese champion had arrived as a favourite after qualifying first among all finalists on Wednesday, with a best qualifying mark between 17.16m and 17.56m, depending on source. Andy Díaz Hernández, a 30-year-old Italian also born in Cuba, fouled his first attempt.

On his second jump, Díaz landed 18.15m, setting a new Italian record, the best mark of the year, and the fourth-longest triple jump in history. Only Jonathan Edwards (18.29m in 1995), Christian Taylor (18.21m in 2015), and Jordan Díaz (18.18m in 2024) have jumped further. Pichardo followed with 17.50m and 16.99m on his second and third attempts, both short of Díaz. He then passed on his remaining three jumps, conceding the gold. Díaz added 17.78m on his third attempt. Italy's Andrea Dallavalle took bronze with 17.37m on his first jump, holding third throughout.

Pre-final rivalry

The duel carried a personal edge. Pichardo told the Lusa news agency after qualifying that he had planned to "rest" until he heard "the boy from Italy" say he was the best. He said he got "a bit upset," called his father, who is also his coach, and decided he "had to be" in Birmingham to "show who is the best." After Díaz's 18.15m, Pichardo's expression changed.

I wasn't planning to jump more, but with the Italian's attempt, I went 'blind'.

The gap between gold and silver was 39 centimetres. Both Pichardo and Díaz were born in Cuba and now represent different European nations, a rivalry that has shaped the event across recent seasons.

Pichardo's path and Portugal's tally

Born in Santiago de Cuba on 30 June 1993, Pichardo defected from a Cuban team training camp in 2017. He signed with Benfica in April 2018, obtained Portuguese nationality as a refugee, and was authorised to represent Portugal from August 2019. He left Benfica in January 2025 over "irreconcilable differences" that led to a court case. He has been banned from entering Cuba for eight years. His personal best remains 18.08m, set in 2015 while representing Cuba.

The silver repeats Pichardo's result from Rome 2024, when he finished behind Jordan Díaz of Spain, who was absent in Birmingham due to injury. Pichardo won the European title in Munich 2022 with 17.50m. His career also includes Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, Olympic silver at Paris 2024, and world titles at Eugene 2022 and Tokyo 2025.

With this third European medal, Pichardo equalled Rosa Mota (three-time European champion) and Sara Moreira (one title, two silvers), trailing only Francis Obikwelu's four. Across all championships (Olympics, Europeans, Worlds, indoor and outdoor), he tied Rui Silva as the fourth-most-decorated Portuguese athlete with 10 medals. Portugal's tally at these Europeans stands at two: Pichardo's silver and Fatoumata Diallo's bronze in the 400m hurdles, bringing the country to 43 medals across 27 editions.

Díaz's first outdoor title

For Andy Díaz, the Birmingham gold is his first outdoor title. His previous honours came indoors: European indoor champion in 2025, and world indoor champion in 2025 and 2026. He took Olympic bronze at Paris 2024, where Pichardo was silver. His 18.15m places him 14 centimetres behind Edwards's world record from 1995.