Cuban taekwondo Alba qualifies to Rio Olympics

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 11 (acn) Through Rafael Alba, in the division of over 80 kilograms, Cuba reached at the Pan American Olympic Qualifying tournament in Aguascalientes, Mexico, its first ticket to the taekwondo event in the Olympics of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next August.

Alba, world champion in Puebla 2013, conquered the Olympic dream by beating 13-5 in semifinals Venezuelan Carlos Rivas, reflects the specialized site mastkd.com.
Meanwhile, Jose Angel Cobas (80 kg ), the other Cuban representative in the men's event, left without options to get the coveted ticket when losing 3-4 to American Stevens Lopez in a hard-fought semifinal bout.
Similarly, the Cuban woman Yamicel Nunez (57) saw her possibilities getting vanished, also in the semifinals, when she was disqualified in the race for the golden point against Colombian Doris Patino, moment to which they had arrived after finishing the three regulatory segments tied (2-2).
Today, Cuba will have another chance to reach an Olympic berth, through Glehnis Hernandez (+67), also world monarch in Puebla, last contestant of a squad made up by four athletes, two in each sex.