Pedro Pérez

Pedro Damián Pérez Dueñas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ˈpeɾes]; 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.