Cuban athletics, joys and sorrows at Tokyo Olympic Games

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are already history and for Cuban athletics that summer event left some joys, but also debts to be settled in the future.

A silver medal and two bronze ones were Cuba's achievements in the king of sports, thus improving on the previous performance in Rio de Janeiro 2016, where only Denia Caballero, a discus thrower, finished in third place.

Long jumpers Juan Miguel Echevarria and Maykel Masso, as well as Yaime Perez in the discus throw, delighted the island's sports fans with their medals, although once again the desired golden metal did not materialize.

Since Beijing 2008, with the titles won by Yipsi Moreno in the hammer throw, and Dayron Robles, in the 110-meter hurdles, the national anthem has not been heard in a olympic event.

The current medalists in Tokyo tried to change that story, but they could not despite giving their all and competing even with physical discomfort.

This was the case of Echevarria, indoor champion in Birmingham 2018 and outdoor bronze medalist in Doha 2019, who was very close to touching the glory, but in the last jump the Greek Miltiadis Tentoglu prevented him from doing so, equaling the 8.41 meters (m) of the Cuban, but with a better second record.

Masso, who was damaged after his first attempt and won a meritorious bronze with 8.21 m, also deserves to be applauded in that event.

Yaime, who arrived in Tokyo backed by her world gold medal two years ago in Qatar, could not win the crown this time, but she left with her first Olympic medal and proved once again that she is among the elite of her discipline.

However, if we talk about joys for Cuba in athletics in that summer event, we must mention the runner Roxana Gomez, who without being a medalist was one of the sensations in that sport with her qualification to the final of the 400 meters.

The young athlete, despite being damaged in the decisive race, had a praiseworthy performance, improving her personal record twice and going under 50 seconds for the first time.

On the other hand, pole vaulter Yarisley Silva, runner-up in London 2012, finished in eighth place and may say goodbye to active sports; while the women's 4x400 m/p quartet finished in the same position, with the disadvantage of not having their best runner, Gomez, due to injury.

In the case of the high jumper Luis Enrique Zayas and the eight jumper Rose Mary Almanza, they were below expectations by not advancing to the finals of their events, which was quite possible if you look at their previous results in the season.

Thus, between joys and debts, Cuban athletics went through the recently concluded Olympic Games, so from now on we must prepare to fight with everything in three years in search of the gold medal that has not been obtained since Beijing 2008.