Cuba finishes its performance in Paris with nine medals

PARIS, Aug 12 (ACN) After 18 days of action, Cuba closed its road in these Olympic Games with nine medals, a result that places it so far in 29th place in the medal standings.

Far from the expectations with which its delegation arrived in the Games, the Cuban delegation's result was only nine medals, distributed in two golds, one silver and six bronzes, which is why it could not stay among the top 20 countries.

Undoubtedly, the fifth Olympic title of star Mijain Lopez (130 kilograms of Greco-Roman wrestling) is among the most notable of the event in the French capital, as he achieved what no other human being has ever achieved: to win five gold medals in an individual event in the same number of Olympic Games.

Erislandy Alvarez, in the 63.5 kilograms division, won the second gold medal for boxing, the so-called flagship of the Cuban delegation.

The 24-year-old, world runner-up in Tashkent 2023, had been the last fighter to qualify for Paris 2024, and throughout the competition he kept his hopes of winning the title in his first Olympic competition; and on the ring he was indomitable.

Arlen Lopez, in the 80 kilograms, had to settle for bronze, as the goal of being included in the select list of fighters in the world with three Olympic crowns was not achieved.

With five medals in total, wrestling is the sport that contributed the most, with highlights for Yusneylis Guzman and her silver in the women's 50 kilograms freestyle, the first time a Cuban climbs the podium in that modality; to which was added today the bronze of Milaymis Marin in the 76, in charge of closing the performance of Cuba in the European city.

Luis Alberto Orta (67 kg) and Gabriel Rosillo (97 kg) were joined with their bronze medals in the Greco; the former, one of the clearest possibilities to be crowned in Paris, but in the quarterfinals he faced Iran's Saeid Esmaeli, who left him without options to become Olympic champion for the second time.

Yarisleidis Cirilo won bronze in the 200-meter individual canoe and registered a personal best after stopping the clocks in 44.36 seconds, in an event considered the fastest in history.
And taekwondoka Rafael Alba (over 80 kilograms) repeated the third place obtained in Tokyo three years ago.