Triple jumper in action (© Getty Images)
Not wholly unlike this season’s senior ranks where two men are dominating the event in a fiercely fought rivalry, a duo plays the key role in the youth ranks as well.
But here, they’re both from Cuba, the island nation with one of the event’s proudest traditions.
Cristian Atanay Napoles and Julio César Carbonell, both just 16, have produced nine of the year’s best 11 jumps.
But even that masks the dominance that Napoles brings to Cali where he’ll clearly be the man to beat. His two best leaps of 16.45m and 16.44m from May are well clear of Carbonell’s best two, a pair of 16.02m efforts.
Barring major catastrophe or unlikely surprise, Cuba will depart Cali with a fourth title in the event.
That leaves at least five others fighting for the bronze medal, led by France’s Martin Lamou, the top European.
Lamou, also 16, has 15.86m to his credit outdoors, but also sailed 16.06m indoors last winter. He’ll also double in the long jump.
Others in the medal hunt could include China’s Mingze Du (15.74m), Lamou’s team-mate Melvin Raffin (15.62m), Turkey’s Mert Cicek (15.55m) and India’s Sonu Kumar (15.50m).
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
