The cuban judo He won four medals on the opening day of the Pan American and Oceania Sports Championship, which takes place from this Friday in Lima, Peru. However, none of those metals were gold.
The best results were achieved by Arnaes Odelín, in the 57 kg among the women, and Danny Porte, in the 60 kg of the men’s sector, who were silver after falling in the finals of their respective divisions.
Odelín, defending monarch of her weight, could not revalidate the Guadalajara 2020 gold by giving up in the discussion of the scepter against the Brazilian Jessica Lima, due to disqualification. To reach that instance she had surpassed the Chilean Sasha Muñoz and the American Mariah Holguin, in accordance with the website Hit.
Meanwhile, young Portes fell for ippon against the Costa Rican Sebastián Sancho in the fight for the crown, in his debut in international competitions. Before, he had to defeat the Ecuadorian Bryan Garboa and the Panamanian Bernabé Vergara, both by disqualification, and the highest ranked Joshua Katz, from Australia, by wazari.
Two silver medals for #Cuba at the beginning of the Pan American #Judo in Lima. Danny Porte and Arnaes Odelín were the ones with the best results among the nine Cubans who fought this Friday. Another eight will be at the Saturday closing. #CubanSport https://t.co/TdhgL24pE2 pic.twitter.com/qlemLZBHud
— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) April 16, 2022
The other two metals, both bronze, went to the account of the experienced Magdiel Estrada, in the 73 kg, and the novel Yusmari Reyes, in 63 kg.
Estrada, the most endorsed Cuban judoka on this first date of the tournament, defeated the Panamanian Ronal González and the Colombian Arkangel Barboza, before losing in the semifinals against the American Dominic Rodríguez, who ultimately won the gold. For getting on the podium he left out the Mexican Gilberto Cardoso.
As for Reyes, she only lost in the semifinals against the well-known Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard and then made up for herself against the Mexican Prisca Awiti Alcaraz. In her career in the championship she was also better than the American Sara Golden and the renowned Brazilian Ketleyn Quadros, fifth in the world ranking, points out Hit.
The other representatives of the Island on the day did not suffer the same fate. Héctor San Román, also in the 73 kg, won against Australian Jake Bensted, but then lost to local Alonso Wong. And in the 52 kg, Melissa Hurtado did not get a medal despite opening successfully over Peruvian Marian Flores. The Cuban later lost a disputed fight with the Brazilian Larissa Pimenta, and aspiring to the bronze she gave in again, this time against the Australian Tinka Easton.
For their part, Vanessa Godínez (48 kg), Julio Delgado (60 kg) and Orlando Polanco (66 kg) did not get past the first match and could do nothing for Cuba, which after the first day is fifth in the medal table. Brazil (4-0-2), the United States (1-1-3) and Australia (1-0-2), currently lead the tournament.
This Saturday another eight Cubans will go up to the tatami. They are Idelannis Gómez (70 kg), Maidelines Gorguet (78), and Thalía Nariño and Naomis Elizarde (+78), among the women, and Yasel Baeza (81), Iván Silva (90), Liester Cardona (100) and Andy Granda (+100), among the men, in search of contributing a scepter and more metals to the Cuban cause.
