Christian Bruna / EPA
Pedro Pichardo was two centimeters away from Olympic gold, winning silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 31-year-old Olympic champion alleges “irreconcilable differences” and will take the matter “to the competent authorities”.
Pedro Pablo Pichardo, Olympic triple jump champion in Tokyo2020 and Paris2024, terminated his contract with Benfica, which was valid until the end of the Los Angeles2028 Games, claiming “irreconcilable differences”.
In a statement sent to the Lusa agency, the 31-year-old athlete, world champion in Oregon2022 and European champion in Munich2022, thanked the support received to achieve goals, promising, after separating from the red club, which he represented since 2018, take the matter “to the competent authorities” and focus “solely and exclusively on the sporting aspect”.
“Due to irreconcilable differences with Sport Lisboa and Benfica, which make my continuity unfeasible, I decided to stop being a club athleteas I communicated to the entity today. The matter is being taken to the competent authorities, so, from this day forward, I will no longer comment on this topic, focusing solely and exclusively on the sporting aspect”, says the statement signed by Pichardo.
Shortly after announcing his departure from Benfica, the athlete also seemed to say goodbye… to Portugal.
In a post on social media, the 31-year-old Portuguese, born in Cuba, simply writes “bye” in the description of a compilation of images of himself representing Portugal.
After winning the European indoor track title, in Istanbul 2023, the athlete’s dispute with the director of the Olympic and athletics project, Ana Oliveira, was made public, and last year, Pichardo refused to accept the affiliation process on the platform. Portuguese Athletics Federation (FPA).
In Paris2024, after having won the silver medal, again behind the Spaniard Jordan Díaz, who had already won in Eurocup Rome2024, Pichardo considered ending his careermaking his future dependent on meetings with the president of Benfica, Rui Costa, and the Portuguese Government.
After those of Nelson Évora who said that Pichardo, born in Cuba, was “bought” by the Portuguese Athletics Federation to achieve “immediate results”, the triple jump champion.
“In the last seven years of my professional career I became – among other titles won – Olympic triple jump champion, world athletics champion and European champion. I also won three Diamond Leagues in athletics”, wrote Pichardo.
In a year with indoor European Championships, in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands, between March 6th and 9th, indoor World Championships, in Nanjiing, China, between March 21st and 23rd, and also outdoor World Championships, in Tokyo , between September 13th and 21st, Pichardo thanks those who contributed to his success.
“I want to publicly thank the fans of Sport Lisboa and Benfica, my sponsors, the FPA, the Portuguese Olympic Committee and the Setúbal City Council for their unconditional support over the years, without which it would not have been possible to achieve the objectives”, he also mentioned the athlete, now an individual.
