The expectations were high, and were more than met. The 6th edition of the Ibero-American Triathlon Championship in Havana was a great success in terms of its organization, competitiveness, and quality as a spectacle.
The link between culture and sports was, as it was last year, a big asset. A painting contest was held the day of the competition, with the participation of 50 children, students from the San Alejandro school, who had the support and advice of great figures of Cuban culture, including visual artists Nelson Domínguez, José Rodríguez Fuster and Kamil Bullaudi, among others, who were present on this occasion.
A real social and sports atmosphere reigned from early on in the usual venues, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba and the Hemingway Marina. In the words of Spaniard José Carrasco, director and general coordinator of the event, "Cuba is an example worthy of imitation by other nations, given the organizational skill it possesses, in addition to the secure conditions the country offers all those attending."
This year’s event again welcomed 70 triathletes from the United States, among the competition’s principal promoters, with the second largest presence from abroad, behind Mexico, in spite of the pressure exerted by the Trump administration, in a an attempt to prevent its citizens’ participation.
The main male figure in the Havana triathlon, Michel Gonzalez, repeated last year’s victory in the elite middle distance category, in his age group, with a time of 3:18.00. Cuba’s Leslie Amat, who has a real chance of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, finished ninth among women, reaching her main objective, which was to do better than Colombia's Lina Maria Raga, who came in tenth. The women's event was won by Marissa Ferrante (2:11.12) from the United States.
