12 Facts About Irving Saladino

Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda was born on January 23,1983 and is a Panamanian former long jumper.

Irving Saladino was Olympic champion, having won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and remains Panama's first and only Olympic gold medalist.

Irving Saladino was world champion in the long jump in 2007.

Irving Saladino represented his country at three consecutive Olympics, from 2004 to 2012, and competed at four World Championships in Athletics from 2005 to 2011.

Irving Saladino had the longest jumps in the world in the 2006 and 2008 seasons.

The 2006 world leader in the long jump, Saladino launched his 2007 season with the farthest leap of the year, 8.53 m, to win at the "Grande Premio Rio Caixa de Atletismo", held in Rio de Janeiro on May 13,2007.

On 24 May 2008, Irving Saladino achieved a new personal record.

Irving Saladino carried the flag for his native country at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On 30 August 2007 Irving Saladino became the World Champion in Osaka.

Irving Saladino competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where he made history in Central America and his country, Panama, by winning the gold medal in the long jump competition on 18 August 2008, with a jump of 8.34 meters, giving Panama their first Olympic medal since the 1948 Summer Olympics, and their first gold ever.

Martin Torrijos, President of Panama, announced a decree to name a sports facility in the Villa Deportiva in Juan Diaz after Irving Saladino and granted a check to him for 50,000 US dollars.

Irving Saladino was eliminated early after underperforming due to injury.