New Delhi, Nov. 24 -- For 32 years, Javier Sotomayor has stood at the pinnace of high jump alone. The Cuban great not only remains the only high jumper to scale eight feet - he has done that twice - he is also the holder of one of the oldest standing world records in athletics. In India for the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival, the 58-year-old double Olympic medallist opened up on his self-taught technique, his visualisation routine, and his long-standing world mark. Excerpts: It's a very special achievement that has stood the test of time. What really helped me is that I lived in the best era of high jump in the world. I had a lot of world class competitors in Patrik Sjoberg (Sweden) and Hollis Conway (USA), and they were no flukes. They jumped well all year round. I was lucky to be living and competing in that era and to have such wonderful competitors. We always pushed each other which is what helped me achieve the maximum that I could. I don't know why my record hasn't been broken yet given the advancements in biomechanics and training technology. I know how I could break the world record in my time, but I don't have an answer as to why mine hasn't been broken in all these years. In the current lot, if anyone can break my world record, it'll be Mutaz Barshim. He's not at his best of late, but he can definitely get better and come close. He is a real threat at his best. He can come closest to me. Having said that, age matters in high jump. I remember I was 10 when I took up athletics; I was always interested in track and field although high jump was not my first choice. I did sprints and hurdles. In the Cuban sports system, they make kids play and compete in all sorts of sports and at around 14-15, I found my calling in high jump. The first time I thought I wanted to be the best in the world was when I was 15. At that age, I wanted to be the best young athlete in the world. Once I achieved that, I wanted to be the best elite athlete in the world. When I did that, I wanted to raise the bar for myself and get even better. Even though I could not go beyond 2.45m, I wanted to do better. Yes, I did have a very different technique. I put a lot of emphasis on rhythm. I had a long run that gave me the necessary boost and the required impulse. I needed to generate a lot of force at the time of jumping, and for that, I wanted to gain as much speed as possible. I put a lot of effort in strengthening my ankles to prepare them for the impact. Throughout my career, the last step before the jump was very long, which was different from what everybody else in the world was doing at that point in time. That is because I was trying to combine two techniques - one that depends on speed and the other that depends on explosive force. I taught myself. I practised it when I was 14 and got used to it. A lot of my coaches wanted me to change it, but I stuck with it. Theoretically you're not supposed to jump like that, so I don't blame them. Very, very important. Back then, we didn't have slow-motion cameras or video analysis to study our or opponents' techniques. We needed to have our own methods and visualisation was a great tool. In '96. I was out of action for six months due to injury. That's when my psychologist made me visualise every single day, right from how I would stand at the top of my mark, to the distance I would select to the jump. I had the entire process mapped out in my head. I could do 2.45m because I visualised 2.45m. I was always focused on technique; like what is the speed that I'm going to run, what is the power that I'm going to generate, each and every step would play in my mind. I would visualise a perfect jump and try and execute it. High jump is very tricky, and a very mental discipline. Pole vault and high jump demand a very high level of mental preparation and visualisation. I'm not downplaying any other discipline but sprint events are well and truly decided on the day, but in high jump and pole vault, we know the target beforehand which makes managing expectations critical. If a jumper is doing 2.30m with great technique, and you raise the bar by 2cms, the results may not be the same. You may execute your perfect jump at a certain height but it may not be a medal-winning height. On the other hand, your technique can go awry when the bar is raised. So, unlike javelin where the best effort is a medal-winning effort, in high jump, a best effort might mean nothing. Yes, of course. Especially in 1988, I was at the peak of my powers. What hurts the most is that I did not even lose; I just could not compete. I definitely missed an Olympic medal there. Stay focussed and strive to do better than what you did last year. Do not stop dreaming, but also keep your expectations honest....