Francisco Gómez Hechavarría (born 7 February 1957) is a Cuban sprinter and

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

er. He competed in the men's 100 metres at the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

. At the

1974 Central American and Caribbean Games The 12th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from February 27 to March 13, 1974, and included 1,928 athletes from 23 nations competing in 18 sports. Sports * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Med ...

, Gómez won the bronze medal in the long jump. At the 1976 Olympics, Gómez accused Olympic gold medalist

Alberto Juantorena Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950) is a Cuban former runner. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976. He was ranked as the world's best runner in the 400 m in 1974 and 1976–19 ...

of sabotaging the Cuban national team by putting

talcum powder Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, with the chemical formula . Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant. ...

on their beds in the Olympic village, a claim that Juantorena did not deny. The prank caused sprinter Silvio Leonard to trip and fall on glass requiring stitches, but for accusing Juantorena, the Cuban national team disciplined Gómez by leaving him in Montreal. Gómez Hechavarría is from the

Palma Soriano Palma Soriano is a Cuban city and municipality in the Santiago de Cuba Province. With a population of 119,740 in the city proper, it is the second-largest in the province and List of cities in Cuba, the 16th-largest in Cuba. History The city was ...

city of Cuba.

International competitions

References

1957 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1975 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Cuban male sprinters Cuban male long jumpers Olympic athletes for Cuba Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics Pan American Games athletes for Cuba People from Palma Soriano Sportspeople from Santiago de Cuba Province 20th-century Cuban sportsmen {{Cuba-athletics-bio-stub