Sheyla Hernández Estupiñán won the over-70 kilogram world parajudo title in Tbilisi, Georgia, securing a historic milestone for Cuban women’s adaptive martial arts. National team coach Ivis Dueñas Alonso confirmed that the victory marks the first time a female competitor from the island has captured a world championship crown in the sport.
Breaking New Ground in Tbilisi
Hernández Estupiñán claimed the gold medal in the over-70 kg division over the weekend, adding a premier international title to the nation’s combat sports resume. The breakthrough arrived alongside a bronze medal won by teammate Ariagna Hechavarría Castro in her respective bracket, cementing a strong performance for the delegation in the Georgian capital.
Building on a Legacy of Men’s Success
Before Hernández Estupiñán’s victory, Cuba’s historical success in world parajudo competition had been driven entirely by male competitors.
The nation’s first world parajudo crown came at the 1998 World Championships in Madrid, Spain, where Sergio Arturo Pérez triumphed in the 60 kg division by defeating Japan’s Hirose Makoto in the final. Pérez went on to build a dominant international career, collecting further gold medals at the 2002 championships in Rome, the 2006 tournament in Brommat, France—where he won both individual and team honors—and the 2007 event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He also claimed the gold medal at the Sydney Paralympic Games.
Early Milestones and Multi-Event Medallists
The 1998 Madrid tournament also featured a 15-year-old Isao Cruz Alonso, who stepped up in weight class due to a last-minute adjustment and secured a bronze medal in the 81 kg category by defeating a local athlete who had taken silver at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. Cruz Alonso subsequently reached the top of the podium at the Sydney and Beijing Paralympic Games, before concluding his major-event career with a bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. His world championship resume includes individual titles in Rome and Sao Paulo, a team gold in France, and multiple silver and bronze medals.
Senén Ramos Benítez, who directed the men’s program for years, compiled these historical milestones alongside José Tomás González, president of the Subcomisión de Historia del arte marcial a nivel nacional. Additional historical champions include Víctor Luis Sánchez, who secured a world title in 2006 alongside Pan American honors and a medal at the Beijing Paralympic Games.
The Evolution of Women’s Parajudo
Women’s participation at the elite international level gained momentum in the years leading up to the competitions in Antalya, Turkey, where Yarima Brooks Brossal and two-time Paralympic champion Dalidaivis Rodríguez Clark each secured bronze medals. Hernández Estupiñán’s gold medal in Tbilisi now establishes a new benchmark for women’s athletics in the discipline.
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