Fruitful day for Cuba in Veracruz Games

HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 24 (acn) Cuban totaled 13 titles by winning yesterday the team events in both sexes of the judo tournament in the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico.

The Cuban men's squad defeated 4-1 Venezuela while the women's team did the same with identical score against the locals.

There were also cheers in cycling thanks to the gold and silver medals won in the women's road race at the Xalapa-Coatepec circuit.

Marlies Mejias won her fifth title at the regional competition, crossing the finish line with a time of 2:11:11 hours escorted by her compatriots Yumari González and Yudelmis Domínguez.

However, by regulation of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO), in this competition only two runners from the same country can climb the podium and so the bronze medal corresponded to Colombian Maria Luisa Calle.

The weightlifter Javier Vanega won a gold and a silver medal on the snatch and clean and jerk respectively in the 94 kg division.

In the snatch Vanega lifted 163 kg defeating thus Colombian Wilmer Hernan Torres (157) and Venezuelan Herbys Márquez (150), while in clean and jerk he was beaten by Torres despite achieving the same weight (202) because the Colombian had lower body weight.

In other Cuban performances, Leuris Pupo, London 2012 Olympic champion, led the qualifying stage of the men's 25 meters rapid fire pistol, advancing thus to the final where he expects to win the gold medal at El Lencero Police Academy.

Furthermore, the Caribbean nation won silver medals, in both sexes, in the 30 meters frontenis doubles , and the women's paleta rubber doubles finished third while Jhoan Torreblanca earned a silver medal in the men's individual paleta rubber event.

In boxing, Cubans Julio Cesar La Cruz, (81 kilograms), Yohandi Toirac (+91) and Yosbany Veitía (52) secured bronze medals in the contest; while Lazaro Alvarez (60) advanced to the quarterfinals.

Related to team sports, the Cuban women's field hockey side reached the crown on penalties over the Dominican Republic.

In water polo, the Cuban women's and men's squads defeated 39-1 and 29-0 Guatemala, in that order.
Finally, in men's handball, they beat 59-20 to Nicaragua in the preliminary phase.