Luis Alberto Rivera Morales (born 21 June 1987) is a Mexican long jumper. He won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2013 Summer Universiade. He also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. His personal best is 8.46 metres, achieved in July 2013.[2]
 Rivera at the 2013 World Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 21, 1987 Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] |
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Mexico |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Long jump |
His brother, Edgar Rivera, competes in the high jump.
Early life edit
A native of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Rivera was oldest of four children born to Luis Rivera Pompa and Alejandra Morales.[3] His father had excelled in athletics while his maternal grandfather, León Morales Amézquita, was a marathon runner and played professional football for Unión de Curtidores.[3]
Rivera played football before he began practicing the long jump at the age of 17.[3][4]
He attended Central Arizona College, where he learned English. He won the junior college national championship in both the triple jump and the long jump.[5] After finishing his General Studies degree, he transferred to the University of Arizona, where he was named all-American in long jump. He also won the indoor and outdoor conference titles in both the long jump and triple jump.[5]
Career edit
In 2013, Rivera competed at the Summer Universiade held in Kazan, Russia, where he jumped 8.46 meters to take the gold medal in a head-to-head battle with Russian national favorite Aleksandr Menkov, who finished 4 cm behind. Rivera's winning jump became the Mexican national record, and the University Games record.
Just over a month later, at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia, Menkov was again in the competition. This time Menkov took the gold with the Russian National record of 8.56 m while Rivera took the bronze medal with a jump of 8.27 m.
Rivera was given the National Sports Award in 2013 for his performances.[6]
Personal life edit
Rivera earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Arizona before earning his master's degree in electrical engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM).[3] He subsequently earnned his PhD in industrial engineering from ITESM.[6]
His brother, Edgar Rivera, competes in the high jump. Two other brothers, Adrián and Jorge, also compete in athletics.[7] A documentary about the Rivera quartet, called El gran salto, was released in 2021.[7]
In May 2021, Rivera announced his candidacy for the municipal president of Agua Prieta, challenging incumbent Jesús Alfonso Montaño Durazo, cousin of Governor Alfonso Durazo.[6]
Teaching Careerer edit
After earning his PhD, Rivera soon began to teach pre-calculus, AP and standard geometry at Douglas High School in Douglas, Arizona, a town closely linked as the sister city of Agua Prieta, Sonora.[8]
"I don't have this class, i'm just here because my boyfriend is" - Girlfriend of a student of Rivera
"O te toca un profe que sabe enseñar o con el que sacas curas, y en la clase del Rivera las curas nunca faltaron." - Former student of Rivera
Competition record edit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Mexico
| |||||
| 2004 | Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships | Coatzacoalcos, Mexico | 3rd | Triple jump | 14.56 m |
| 2007 | NACAC Championships | San Salvador, El Salvador | 6th | Long jump | 7.43 m |
| 2010 | Ibero-American Championships | San Fernando, Spain | 8th | Long jump | 7.48 m |
| Central American and Caribbean Games | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 7th | Long jump | 7.43 m | |
| 2011 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 8th | Long jump | 7.32 m |
| Universiade | Shenzhen, China | 28th (q) | Long jump | 7.23 m | |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 32nd (q) | Long jump | 7.42 m |
| 2013 | Universiade | Kazan, Russia | 1st | Long jump | 8.46 m |
| World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 3rd | Long jump | 8.27 m | |
| 2014 | World Indoor Championships | Sopot, Poland | 7th | Long jump | 7.93 m |
| Ibero-American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 1st | Long jump | 8.24 m | |
| 2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 9th | Long jump | 7.63 m (w) |
References edit
- ^ "Luis Rivera Profile". BBC. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ "Info System: Schedule / Schedule by Date (Athletics, Friday 12 July 2013) / Official Results - Men's Long Jump Final". Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ a b c d Sánchez Reyes, Cristina (16 August 2013). "Los números son la vida para Luis Rivera". El Economista (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ Trujano, Saúl (20 August 2013). "Luis Rivera, el orgullo de Agua Prieta". Excélsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Luis Rivera-Morales Profile". Arizona Wildcats Athletics. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Moreno Valenzuela, Gerardo (21 May 2021). "Luis Rivera busca oxigenar el Gobierno de Agua Prieta". Primera Plana Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ a b "El sueño olímpico de los hermanos Rivera llega a la pantalla grande". Imagen Poblana (in Spanish). 3 August 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "Douglas High School". www.douglasschools.org. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
External links edit
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