The sport of wrestling in Cuba closes this year 2021 with the conquest of two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games, to which it adds other joys such as the great performance of its gladiators in the first edition of the Junior Pan American Games based in Cali, Colombia.
At the summer event in the Japanese capital, the Greco-Roman style once again led the harvest of that discipline, with a leading role for Mijaín López, of 130 kilograms (kg), winner of his fourth title under five rings, and Luis Orta, who It surprised with its golden metal at 60 kg.
For Mijaín, this feat allowed him to increase his legend because never before had a gladiator climbed four times to the top of the awards podium in these types of events, a fact that “immortalizes” forever an athlete who, by his own merits, was selected the most featured in the country this year.
This unprecedented event also earned the distinction of Event of the Year and as if that were not enough, it won the award for the best male athlete in Latin America in the 57th edition of the traditional Prensa Latina sports poll.
The gladiator Luis Orta has many reasons to celebrate this 2021, by consecrating the Olympic champion of 60 kilograms in the Greco-Roman style of Tokyo 2020, which earned him to be selected today among the 10 best athletes in Cuba this year.
In the case of Orta, he had the competition of his life in Tokyo and to reach Olympic glory he won the final with a score of 5-1 against the double Japanese world monarch Kenichiro Fumita, so he left the local representative with the desire to be prophet in his land.
That outstanding performance allowed him to be included in the group of the 10 most outstanding Cuban athletes of 2021.
Read: Great performance by Cuban gladiators at I Junior Pan American Games
Also in freestyle Reineris Salas (97 kg), a two-time silver medalist in universal competitions, closed the year with a well-deserved award, an Olympic bronze medal that fought with all its strength and demonstrated quality on the mattresses.
For this combat sport, what was done on Japanese soil meant maintaining the chain of golds obtained by the Caribbean nation in summer events, a streak that began in Barcelona 1992, which shows great stability in its results.
Moving on to another tournament, at the I Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, the Cuban wrestlers had an excellent performance with nine gold medals, three silver and an equal amount of bronze.
Also read: Cuban President highlights the election of Mijaín López as the best Latin American athlete
By countries, those of the largest of the Antilles dominated by a wide difference, followed by the United States (4-2-6) and the Colombian hosts (2-1-4), occupying the second and third place, respectively.
Cuba’s golden booty was headed by the members of the Greco-Roman team, with four titles; while the women of the free modality conquered three and the men of the same specialty reached two golden metals.
The Greek champions were Yonat David Veliz, weighing 67 kilos, Alain Moreno (77 kg), Yan Luis Algudín (87 kg) and Jeisser Sampson (130 kg); while Liober Betancourt (97 kg) finished in second place.
Among the girls, Laura Herin (53 kg), Yainelis Sanz (57 kg) and Milaimys de la Caridad Marín (76 kg) reigned in their respective divisions; while Greili Bencosme (50 kg) achieved the silver medal.
Finally, the libristas Osmany Diversent (57 kg) and Arturo Silot (97 kg) won the crowns, and in bronze were Inoisbel González (65 kg), Geannis Garzón (74 kg) and Yoan Alexander Robert (125 kg).
