Edgar Rivera jumps his way to the World Championship

Edgar Rivera achieved the qualifying mark a few days ago for the World Championship this year in London, England, after jumping 2.30 meters, a distance that gives the Sonoran-born athlete more motivation to face another Olympic cycle in his sports career.

Rivera had not reached that mark for a year and even at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, he was left with a bad taste in his mouth as he could only jump 2.17 meters. But now, having achieved the world record at an event in the Czech Republic, his expectations for this year are high again.

Edgar continues his training in Germany, where he has stayed for several months and will remain until after the World Championship in August.

- How good is the achieved mark?

That mark of 2.30 meters currently places me in third place in the world, although only two months have passed this year. It can be said that there are not many Latinos who can jump that high in a year, so I am very happy because personally, I confirmed that mark that I made in February 2016 and that gives me confidence. I am back to those heights and we can be contenders in any competition. The year is just beginning, and I have to see how the other jumpers are doing. It would be very premature to make a prediction for the World Championship. The only thing I know is that I would like to be in good physical shape and have a good performance.

- What did the previous Olympic cycle leave you?

There were several competitions and experiences like the Central American Games in Veracruz in 2014, the Pan American Games in Toronto 2015, and the Rio 2016 Olympics. It was a long cycle, and maybe the results were not as I imagined, especially in the Olympics. But I try to see the good side and learn from every competition. I believe that in Rio, I fulfilled a dream of being in such a competition. Right after the competition, I felt very bad because I could have experienced glory and reached the lowest point. I am grateful for these emotions that sport makes me live, so I will continue with this discipline that I enjoy.

- Are you ready for another Olympic cycle?

The cycle is just beginning, and it's another four years where you have to go year by year, practice, and perform well in competitions. This year, we have the World Championship in London, and we have already qualified, so I hope to have a good preparation and arrive at that event in good shape and have a great performance. Next year, the important competitions of the Olympic cycle begin, and I want to show that there is an improvement in my results and that we are progressing, so that I can arrive at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with confidence and in good form. I am aware that sports are not forever and the body sometimes gets tired. Therefore, I think I'll be at a good age to compete at a high level in Tokyo, so I hope to have good preparation and planning to give my all there.

- Where do you maintain your training?

I am still training in Germany, and the plan is to stay here at least until August, with my teammate Luis Castro from Puerto Rico, and I am happy. Things have worked out, and I haven't seen any reason to change my training base, so I will be staying here.