Just five centimetres separate Cuban triple jumpers Leyanis Perez Hernandez and Liadagmis Povea – that is the difference between their season’s bests as well as their personal bests and they will clash at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25.

Perez Hernandez has jumped a world-leading 14.62m so far this year and has a PB of 14.98m from 2023, while Povea’s best so far in 2025 is 14.57m and her PB from 2021 stands at 14.93m.

There is no denying that Perez Hernandez was disappointed by her showing at the Paris Olympics. She had gone into the event undefeated all season, only to finish down the pecking order in fifth place, but she still won her first Diamond League title that year.

The 23-year-old, a world medallist indoors and out, now has her sights set on a first global title of any description.

Not born into a sporting family, her and her twin sister Lidianis both thrived in their sporting choices – triple jump and handball, respectively.

Leyanis was first discovered while in the third grade at school and transferred to a sports school instead aged 10, trying both high jump and triple jump before finally settling on the latter.

And coach Ricardo Ponce believes the world is her oyster in her chosen sport. “She has the rare talent of being tall, fast and well-coordinated,” he said. “She has huge potential and we will guide her through her physical and mental growth.”

There was similar agony for her compatriot Povea at the Paris Games when a medal eluded her by just 3cm, with Perez Hernandez only 2cm further back.

At 29, she is the senior of the pair and is breathing down the neck of her teammate heading to China.

A year her senior is Dominica’s Thea Lafond who has yet to record a jump in competition this season but is the sport’s form athlete in the past year having won gold in Paris. She is also the defending champion having sealed gold in Glasgow 12 months ago.

Since her Olympic success she has understandably become a superstar back in the Caribbean and she will be hoping to carry on her habit of producing a big jump in round two to seal yet another major title.

“It is absolutely beyond my wildest dreams,” she said in the wake of Paris. “We always said it takes one jump. Second jump at the World Indoor Championships was the big one. Second jump outdoors at the Olympics was the big one. What a year, what a life!”

On paper, they look likely to be the big three in this particular competition, but there are threats elsewhere.

Ana Peleteiro-Compaore regained the European indoor title in Apeldoorn with a season’s best of 14.37m and before that she secured the Spanish indoor title with 14.33m. The 29-year-old also has great experience on the global stage, having claimed world indoor bronze in both 2018 and 2024 as well as Olympic bronze in Tokyo.

Romania’s Diana Ana Maria Ion has also gone beyond 14.30m this year.

Following a competition rule change approved by the World Athletics Council at its meeting in December, all 16 athletes will feature in the first three rounds of the final. The top 10 will then advance to compete in round four, which is two more athletes than the previous rules allowed, and the top eight then advance to round five. The top six, rather than the previous top eight, will compete in the sixth and final round.

Matt Majendie for World Athletics

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