Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarría was crowned champion at the Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais athletics meet in Lievin, with a jump of 8.25 meters, reaffirming his status as world indoor circuit leader in the long jump, on a day marked by the world record established in the women's 1,500-meters.

"The presence of the Kazakh team in our facilities was very fruitful, and enhanced the training plan we had designed for the Olympic Games. They demanded a higher level of physical conditioning of us, at just the right time."