Marian Oprea in the triple jump at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot (© Getty Images)
Only 11 men were in the qualifying competition for Sunday’s final with 2004 Olympic silver medallist Marian Oprea the sole athlete to surpass 17 metres; 16.90m being the automatic qualifying distance.
The 31-year-old Romanian leapt 17.02m with his second effort to put himself in contention for a medal, having finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively in previous editions of these championships.
Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo qualified with the second furthest jump with 16.82m.
The 20-year-old world silver medallist and 2012 world junior champion leads the world list with 17.32m this winter after his recent jump in Prague although he jumped a massive 17.76m outdoors on home soil in Havana last month.
Russia’s 2012 world indoor bronze medallist Lyukman Adams registered 16.68m qualified marginally ahead of Cuba’s Ernesto Reve.
Following a 17.15m personal best to claim the US title in Albuquerque last month, Chris Carter had a best effort of 16.54m while Poland had plenty to cheer as Karol Hoffman, son of the 1983 world champion Zladislaw, progressed courtesy of a 16.37m effort.
The final qualifying position of a very modest qualifying competition went to Ukraine’s Viktor Kuznietsov, the 2004 world junior champion needing only 16.29m to reach the final.
Nicola Bamford for the IAAF
