Lester Lescay

Lester Lescay
Personal information
NationalitySpain
BornLester Alcides Lescay Gay
(2001-10-15) 15 October 2001
Cuba
Sport
SportTrack and Field
Event
long jump
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Spain
European Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place2025 ApeldoornLong jump

Lester Alcides Lescay Gay (born 15 October 2001) is a Cuban-born-Spanish athlete who competes in the long jump. From January 2025 he competes for Spain. He was a bronze medalist at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[1]

Biography

He won the silver medal in the long jump at the 2017 IAAF World U18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing behind teammate Maikel Vidal.[2] He won gold at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics long jump competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a jump of 7.79 metres.[3] Later that year, and still aged 16 years-old, Lescay achieved a new personal best of 7.91 meters in Havana.[4]

He made a 8.28m jump on the 23 February 2020 in Camagüey.[5] It was the fourth longest men's senior outdoor long jump worldwide in 2020.[6] It placed him tenth on the Cuban all-time list, as well as the sixth overall for an under-20 athlete of-all-time.[7] Lescay was included in Cuba's squad for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. At the Games, he jumped 7.69 metres without professing through to the final.[8]

He defected from Cuba in 2022 after taking part in a competition in Belgrade, Serbia. He started to compete in Spain for Facsa Playas de Castellón athletics club. He jumped a new personal best of 8.35 meters on June 23, 2024, placing him in sixth position in the overall world rankings for that year.[4]

From January 2025, he was cleared to compete internationally for Spain.[9] He won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a jump of 8.12 metres, just one centimetre behind gold medal winner Bozhidar Sarâboyukov.[10][11] He finished fourth with a jump of 8.06 metres at the Diamond League event at the 2025 Golden Gala in Rome on 6 June 2025.[12] In September 2025, he competed at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, qualifying for the final and placing eighth overall.[13][14]

In August 2026, he placed tenth competing at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England.[15]

Personal life

He is the nephew of fellow athlete Mabel Gay.[9] He got married in Spain after defecting from Cuba in 2022.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Lester Alcides LESCAY GAY | Profile". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  2. ↑ Pavitt, Michael (July 13, 2017). "Clinch crowned decathlon champion at World Under-18 Athletics Championships". www.insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  3. ↑ "Long Jump Result | 3rd Youth Olympic Games". World Athletics. 11 Oct 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Cuban long jumper Lester Lescay can now compete for Spain". cibercuba.com. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "DTCNews: Thirteen Cuban Athletes Classified for Tokyo-2020". www.dtcuba.com. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "Long Jump - men - senior - outdoor - 2020". World Athletics. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Rodés, Dary's Steyners / Juan Daniel Santana (July 28, 2020). "Lester Lescay Gay: "La vida me hizo para saltar"". Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Tokyo Olympics: Athletics - Men's Long Jump results". BBC Sport. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Lester Lescay Joins Ranks of Cuban Champions Competing in Spain". Footboom1. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Kambundji breaks European indoor 60m hurdles record in Apeldoorn". World Athletics. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  11. ↑ Crumpey, Euan (7 March 2025). "Mixed 1500m fortunes for Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Georgia Hunter Bell". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  12. ↑ "Results - Rome Diamond League Golden Gala 2025". Watch Athletics. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  13. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 Sep 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "These are the 56 Spanish athletes who will compete in the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo". Runnersworld. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  15. ↑ "European Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
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