Pichardo won the competition with a jump of 17.98 metres, winning the first gold medal for Portugal in Tokyo2020, after the silver of Patrícia Mamona in the women's triple jump and the bronze of judoka Jorge Fonseca (-100 kg) and canoeist Fernando Pimenta (K1 1,000).
Portugal surpassed the results achieved in Los Angeles1984 and Athens2004, editions in which it reached the podium three times, to total 28 medals in the Olympic Games (five gold, nine silver and 14 bronze), 12 of which in athletics, the discipline that also provided the five Olympic titles.
The 28-year-old athlete made his best jump, 17.98 metres, on the third attempt, and beat his national record by three centimetres, beating China's Yaming Zhu, with 17.57, and Burkinabè's Fabrice Zango, with 17.47, who won silver and bronze medals, respectively.