A deep sense of honor is born in this homeland. No matter how steep the slope or rugged the path, be the adversary faster, taller or stronger, the Cuban people put their hearts into the task. Beating hard on the track, on the wrestling mat, in the canoe or the boxing ring, the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen did not sleep for 15 days, as a people and its athletes dreamed and lived one of the most extraordinary performances ever of our island nation in the Olympic Games.

In Tokyo-2020, the mission was completed. Fourteenth place on the medal chart is a privilege that in 125 years only 36 other countries have earned. The competition was stiff and to conquer this ranking, for only the third time in so many years, seven gold medals were required, when the average in all previous events was 2.31, in an edition that refused to die – overcoming the pandemic, giving humanity hope and a lesson about what sports competition can mean. A record 93 nations made it onto the medal chart, the first time 90 or more were included, while a unprecedented number of 65 won a gold: a figure than never reached more than 57, the total in Rio de Janeiro-2016 and Atlan

An impressive young Luis Orta, gave another wrestling dissertation to win the title, and not to mention Mijaín López, with a final in which he showed himself to as strong as ever. Congratulating them in a telephone call, Communist Party of Cuba First Secretary and President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez conveyed a message to the delegation: “May we continue to reap victories, with the dignity of our athletes. Cuba is sports, as well.”

In an epic finish, the Cuban rowing duo of Serguey Torres and Fernando Dayán, multiple World Cup champions, won the gold medal in the 1,000-meter tandem canoe (c2-1,000) event, with a time of 3:24.995. They were obliged to battle the Chinese crew, who held the lead for most of the race, and Germany’s duo, the favorites who were fought until the last second.

Veteran Olympian Leuris Pupo won a silver medal, advancing at the last minute to the final, and putting heart into his pistol for his sixth appearance under the five rings. An injured Juan Miguel Echevarría won silver in the long jump, sharing the podium with his teammate Maikel Massó, who took the bronze, as did Yaimé Pérez, in the discus, an event that left the two-time Olympic champion, Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic, without a medal.

Today could be another great day. Boxer Roniel Iglesias is competing for a Tokyo-2020 title, in the 69-kilo division.

(Taken from Granma)

The provocative comments of his rival Enmanuel Reyes, a Cuban-born boxer nationalized in Spain, upon learning that he would face La Cruz in the quarterfinals, roused those who encourage hate and demonize the Revolution.

“We are going to tear heads off,” Reyes predicted, hours before the announced fight, something that even he himself did not believe. He never once defeated his former teammate and Olympic champion, when they were training together in Cuba.
Reyes flooded social networks with his bragging, fully aware of the context, one of escalating media hostility, with campaigns based on fake news and politically motivated lies about Cuba.

This was not one of the usual challenges of words, exchanged between opponents, typical of professional boxing. His bravado was linked to diabolical plans orchestrated by the ultra-right wing in the United States, intent upon presenting Cuba as a hopeless country, immersed in chaos.
Of course, the Olympic Games provided an opportunity that could not be missed, to launch a treasonous insult in the form of the deceptive slogan “Patria y vida” (Homeland and Life).
In the end, it was a fight in which the captain of the Cuban team made sure his good boxing prevailed. Immediately, there were protests against the verdict of the judges, who, according to Reyes were “godfathers,” prejudiced against the Spanish fighter.
The reality of the situation was, however, more than clear. What really bothered some was not the outcome, but the reaction of Julio Cesar, who, at the end of the fight, driven by his heart and his patriotism, affirmed, resolutely and for all present to hear: “Homeland and life, no! Homeland or death, we will win!”
It was an exit the sellouts did not expect, a response that landed, like a right-handed jab, to the very face of the anti-Cuban right.

(Taken from Granma)

While the obligatory hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the dream of Olympic glory, his confident start this season is laying the necessary foundations to reach the top. In his first two performances, in Karslruhe, Germany, and Lievin, France, he took top honors with record jumps over eight meters: 8.18 and 8.25, respectively, results that again established him as leader of the long jump, a position he has held since 2020.

He employed different strategies in the two events. In the German competition, Echevarría went for his best on the first attempt, a practice that has characterized his style. He achieved the definitive 8.18, followed with jumps of 7.72 and 8.09, and declined his final two attempts. In France, he started slower, going from shorter to longer jumps. It wasn’t until the last opportunity that he jumped over eight meters. In this event, he debuted a new, more progressive impulse run, which allowed him to reach the take-off with much more strength.

Among his rivals, Miltiadis Tentoglou, the current European champion from Greece, appears to be the most consistent, thus far, with a record of 8.21, obtained in Lievin. Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle and U.S. jumper Jeff Henderson, gold and silver in Doha 2019, have not competed yet this year, thus, we will have to wait to see who could challenge Echevarría, who will close his winter season in the Madrid meet.

Luis Enrique Zayas has won a medal with all his high jump performances thus far. With the absence of Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, the great favorite to take the crown in Tokyo, Zayas, Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, have dominated winter circuit events. The Cuban will seek to surpass 2.30 meters in an upcoming event in Torun, Poland, which he has achieved before, with a 2.31m jump in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.

(Taken from Granma)