SUCH.-Cuba won another gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and rose to 13th place on the medal table.
In these Olympics, the Cuban delegation has exceeded its expectations and even the performance it had in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
This new gold medal arrived in the fists of Julio César La Cruz, who defeated Russian Muslim Gadzhimagomedov 5-0 in the final, in the Kokugikan Arena, scene of the Olympic boxing tournament.
La Cruz, who had been champion in Rio de Janeiro 2016, but in the 81 kilogram division, thus became a two-time Olympic champion, although in two different categories.
The Cuban Olympic delegation has secured this day at least another silver medalAfter boxer Andy Cruz, weighing 63 kilograms, made it to the final next Sunday in that division.
The Cuban boxing squad, which qualified seven men for Tokyo, before this day already had two gold medals won by Roniel Iglesias, in the 69 kilograms, as well as Arlen López, in the 81 division, boxers who also achieved his second Olympic title, while Lázaro Alvarez reached a bronze medal at 57 kilograms.
Boxing, considered the “flagship” of Cuban sport, now accumulates 37 of the 83 Olympic gold medals achieved by Cuban athletes since Cuba’s first participation in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games.
Julio La Cruz de Cuba poses with the gold medal during the award ceremony of the men’s heavyweight boxing at the 2020 Olympic Games, this Friday at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo (Japan). EFE / José Méndez
Cuba still hopes to increase the medal harvest in Tokyo with three competitors who will row tomorrow Saturday in the Sea Forest channel.
With the gold from La Cruz, the Cuban delegation, which was in 15th place on the medal table, rose to 13th by delegations, a site led by China, which is why Cuba remains among the top 20 as the initial goal of its Olympic representatives.
Before this day, in addition to the three gold medals for the boxers, Cuba accumulated another three golds in charge of the Greek-style fighters, Mijaín López and Luis Alberto Orta, as well as the rowing competitors Serguey Torres and Fernando Dayán Jorge .
The silvers belong to judo competitor Idalys Ortíz, long jumper Juan Miguel Echevarría and shooter Leuris Pupo, while the bronze ones correspond to the taekwondo competitor Rafael Alba, the discóbola Yaimé Pérez, the long jumper Maykel Massó and the boxer Alvarez.
Cuba brought a delegation of 69 athletes to the Japanese capital, the third smallest delegation in the last six decades, and in which for the first time there is no team for a collective sport.
In Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Cubans won five gold medals, two silver and four bronze, and finished in 18th place on the medal table.
The Caribbean nation has participated in 21 editions of the Olympic Games, in which its 1,713 athletes have competed in 29 sports and have won 83 gold, 69 silver and 81 bronze medals, with boxing as the biggest winner.
At the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio de Janeiro 2016, Cuban delegations won medals in 12 sports, with 10 golds for boxing, five for wrestling, three for athletics, and one each for judo. , shooting and baseball.
Tokyo 2020: Medal table until August 6 at the Olympic Games
China 36 26 17 79
United States 31 36 31 98
Japan 24 11 16 51
United Kingdom 18 20 20 58
Russian Olympic Committee 17 23 22 62
Australia 17 6 21 44
Italy 10 10 18 38
Germany 9 11 16 36
Netherlands 9 10 12 31
France 7 11 9 27
New Zealand 7 6 6 19
Canada 6 6 10 22
Republic of Korea 6 4 9 19
Cuba 6 3 4 13
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