MÉRIDA, Mexico – The collapse of the Cuban state sports system, one of the pillars of the regime’s propaganda, occurred at Paris 2024, where the Cuban delegation obtained only 9 medals and two gold titles.
Only the fifth gold medal at the Olympic Games for the star Mijaín López and the gold medal for Erislandy Álvarez in boxing saved the Cuban delegation from leaving Paris without titles, something that would have to go back to Mexico 68, where the Cubans won four silver medals.
Since that meeting, the island’s delegations have always been above both titles.
As for the number of medals, to see such a poor performance by the Cubans one would have to go back to Munich 72, where the Cubans collected 8 medals, although 3 of them were gold.
The Cuban delegation is thus left behind official forecasts that predicted 5 gold medals.
Before the Games, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel had referred to the forecast as “conservative” and proposed that it be revised because Cuban athletes could “overcome it.”
“I am convinced of the potential of sport in Cuba and that its representatives will continue to bring joy to the people,” said Díaz-Canel in statements that confirm his disconnection from the reality of Cuban sport.
This Sunday, the Cuban performance in Paris 2024 closed with an unexpected Bronze for Milaimys de la Caridad Marín in the 76 kg category in women’s freestyle wrestling.
Marín defeated Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan, ranked first in the division, 6-0 in the match that gave her access to a medal.
The fighter had fallen in the quarter-finals against the American Kennedy Blades, who dragged her to the repechage upon reaching the final.
This is the second medal for Cuban women’s wrestling at the Games, after Yusneylis Guzmán won silver in the -50 kg category.
Wrestling ends up being the most successful sport for the Cuban delegation, with the fifth gold medal for Mijaín López (130 kg); and the bronze medals for Luis Alberto Orta (67 kg) and Gabriel Rosillo (97 kg). All in the Greco-Roman category.
In addition to Álvarez’s lightweight title, boxing also included Arlén López’s bronze in the middleweight division.
The medal list was completed by bronze medals for taekwondo athlete Rafael Alba and canoeist Yarisleidis Cirilo.
Paris 2024 was also the stage that confirmed the extent of the Cuban sporting exodus.
Cuban Jordan Díaz took gold in the triple jump competing for Spain. On a historic podium that was dominated by naturalized Cubans: Pedro Pablo Pichardo (silver for Portugal) and Andy Díaz (bronze for Italy).
Also, among other results, the star volleyball player Wilfredo León took the runner-up position with Poland, as did the wrestler Yasmani Acosta for Chile, after losing precisely in the final fight against the five-time champion López.
At the last Tokyo 2020 Games (held post-pandemic in 2021), the Cubans had won 15 medals (7-3-5), improving on their performance in Rio 2016 (11 medals; 5-2-4).
