Isidro Leyva wins pole vault gold at Ibero-American Championships in Peru

The Nerja athlete bounced back from a difficult few months and secured his first senior international title after leading a Spanish one-two in Lima

Marina Rivas

Nerja pole vaulter Isidro Leyva claimed the gold medal at the Ibero-American Championships in Lima, Peru, after clearing 5.40 metres to win the men's pole vault competition.

Representing Spain, the Trops-Cueva de Nerja athlete finished ahead of compatriot Álex Gracia, who took silver with a best effort of 5.30m. The result earned Leyva his first gold medal at the biennial international event, which brings together athletes from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations.

The victory marked a reversal of fortunes from the previous edition in Cuiabá, where Aleix Pi won gold and Leyva settled for silver. This time, the athlete from Nerja took top spot on the podium despite falling short of both his personal best of 5.55m and his best mark of the season.

Silver lining

The gold medal comes after a challenging period for the Costa del Sol athlete, who has dealt with physical setbacks and disappointment at the Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships in Antequera in March.

Although Leyva won that event with a clearance of 5.50m, he was denied a medal due to an issue with his registration. The Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) ruled that he had not been entered within the required deadline and did not allow a late registration, meaning he was unable to compete for podium places despite recording the winning jump. The decision attracted widespread attention on social media.

Trops-Cueva de Nerja also celebrated another success in Lima through high jumper Una Stancev. The Spanish champion, originally from Motril and developed in Nerja's athletics programme, secured silver in the women's high jump with a clearance of 1.90m.