Javier Sotomayor

Javier Sotomayor Sanabria is a Cuban former track and field athlete, who specialized in the high jump and is the current world record holder. The 1992 Olympic champion, he was the dominant high jumper of the 1990s his personal best of 2.45160m160 makes him the only person ever to have cleared eight feet.

Sotomayor was born October 13, 1967 in Limonar, Matanzas Province. The son of a daycare worker and a sugar factory maintenance man, Sotomayor was first sent to a Cuban sports school as a prospective basketball player because of his height. At age 14, coaches made him a high jumper. By 19, he was ranked No.in the world.

Source: Wikipedia