Cuba's Pedro Pablo Pichardo in the triple jump final (© Getty Images)
Up until last month, Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Ernesto Reve had never before competed indoors. Now, the Cubans are among the gold medal favourites for the triple jump in Sopot.
Pichardo heads the world lists indoors and outdoors, having followed his outdoor effort of 17.76m in Havana early last month with 17.32m on his indoor debut in Prague last week.
The 20-year-old won the world junior title in 2012 and then took the silver medal behind Teddy Tamgho in Moscow last summer.
Reve jumped 17.05m in Prague but then gained his revenge on Pichardo in Metz a few days later, winning with 16.81m to Pichardo's 16.68m.
Romania’s Marian Oprea, who made his first world indoor final 11 years ago, recently won the Romanian indoor title with 17.30m, his best performance for three years.
US champion Chris Carter and Russia’s Lyukman Adams, bronze medallist in Istanbul two years ago, are among the other contenders.
Simon Turnbull for the IAAF
