Guantanamo.-There are still some Cuban athletes who are advancing in some sports disciplines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the wrestling star Mijaín López, the runner Roxana Gomez, and the young boexer Erislandy Alvarez Borges, Anisley Garcia’s historic debut in the Olympiads . All of them are doing their best to obtain the gold medal
Mijaín López starts the road to his fifth Olympic gold with victory
Cuban wrestling star Mijaín López (130 kg) debuted with a 7-0 victory over South Korea’s Seungchan Lee in the round of 16 at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.
Feliz debut del astro cubano de la lucha grecorromana Mijaín López (130 kg) en #Paris2024 #CubaInspira pic.twitter.com/SqoUOmhkli
— JIT Deporte Cubano (@jit_digital) August 5, 2024
In his next outing, the four-time Olympic and five-time world champion will face the reigning world champion, Iranian Amin Mirzazadeh, in the quarterfinals.
About to turn 42 years old, Mijaín is looking for his fifth Olympic gold in a row in the Parisian capital, an unprecedented feat in Olympic sport.
Mirzazadeh also made his debut with a 3-1 victory over Adam Jacob of the United States. (Source Radio Havana Cuba)
Roxana Gómez advances to semis in Paris with her best record of the year
Cuban Roxana Gomez, Olympic finalist in Tokyo-2020, advanced on Monday directly to the semifinals of the 400m in Paris-2024, by finishing second in her qualifying heat with her best time of the season (50.38 sec).
Gomez was only beaten in her heat by the world runner-up, Poland’s Natalia Kaczmareck, one of the five semifinalists who went under 50 flat (49.98).
In Roxana’s heat, two-time Olympic champion Miller-Uibo (Bahamas), who after an injury was unable to reach the Olympic Games in top form, dropped out.
Dominican Marileidy Paulino, world champion in 2023 and Olympic runner-up in Tokyo 2020, led her heat with the best time of all the competitors (49.42) and confirmed her status as favorite for the title.
For Latin America and the Caribbean, Jamaican Stacey Ann Williams, Nickisha Pryce and Junelle Bromfield, Mexican Paola Moran and Barbadian Sada Williams also made it to the semifinals.
The other Cuban who competed this Monday in athletics, the discus thrower Mario Díaz, could not advance to the final by throwing 60.92m and finished in 14th place in his heat (25th overall). (Source Radio Havana Cuba)
Paris 2024 boxing: all results, as Wyatt Sanford and Lasha Guruli win Bronze in men’s -63.5kg
Canada’s Wyatt Sanford and Georgia’s Lasha Guruli won bronze medals in the men’s under 63.5kg weight category, after losing their semi-final matches at North Paris Arena on 4 August.
Sanford went blow-for-blow with France’s Sofiane Oumiha in a competitive semifinal that saw the French boxer declared victor.
The Canadian boxer gained the judge’s favour in the third round, but it wasn’t enough to overcome his points deficient from the first two rounds of the bout. He left North Paris Arena with his head held high, celebrating a bronze medal.
“I feel great,” said Sanford. “I didn’t get the result I wanted, but he (Oumiha) is one hell of a fighter. A great boxer.”
“I can’t feel too sad about it. I’ve no regrets,” added Sanford.
Lasha Guruli also left North Paris Arena with few regrets. The 27-year-old boxed through stiff jabs, fatigue and even cuts bleeding down his face to claim a bronze medal against Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez Borges.
The Georgian boxer lost the bout against the technically superior and physically faster Cuban, but he managed to stay competitive throughout all three rounds to secure a personal victory.
He’ll watch from outside the ring as Sofiane Oumiha and Erislandy Alvarez Borges go head-to-head for the gold medal on 7 August. (Source Cuba Sí)
The first Cuban diver qualifed for the semifinal
Cuban diver Anisley Garcia, double Central American champion in the 10-meter platform, qualified for semifinal in events the Olympic Games in Paris,
Anisley’s historic debut in the Olympiads’ diving. Cuban divers had never before reached a platform semifinal in events under the five rings.
Garcia, obtained her ticket for Paris 2024, in the World Aquatics, in Lausanne, Switzerland and she ranked as first reserve in the list of the International Swimming Federation (FINA)
Edited by Liubis Balart
