At dawn on August 2, Cuba’s 130-kilogram division Greco-Roman wrestler, Mijaín López, won his fourth Olympic title, a feat that marks a milestone in the history of Cuban and world sports.
The real possibility of a victory for the three-time Olympic champion and leader of Cuba's delegation to Tokyo, kept all of Cuba in suspense for more than 24 hours, and as his last fight in these Games unfolded, anxiety filled the homes of the millions who admire him.
The previous day, many lost sleep waiting for his fight in the semifinal against his most challenging and virtuous opponent, Turkey’s Riza Kayaalp, in which Mijaín was able to control the rhythm of the bout to seal the long-awaited victory.
Although his physical strength alone intimidates opponents, the good judgment with which the Horseshoe Giant managed his energy was the key to success during his fight with the eternal rival, who will dream, the rest of his days, of the man he attempted to defeat in vain, at the Olympics.
His muscular body, packed into almost two meters of height, a vigorous, invincible athlete on the mat, Mijaín López is definitely a simple, noble man, who represents, yes, the will and the spirit of resistance of his compatriots and whose cause is his greatest inspiration, as he himself has recognized more than once.
With the determination instilled in his people, in the humble people of his native Herradura, and his deep patriotic sentiments, he once again rose to the occasion, facing Georgia’s Lakovi Kajaia. With him, all of Cuba also rose, as well. No one on the entire island missed the chance to see their great champion.
Echevarría and Massó win silver and bronze in the long jump Juan Miguel Echevarría won the Tokyo-2020 silver medal in the long jump, while Maikel Massó took the bronze, in a competition in which the Cubans had the first two positions in their hands, until, in his last attempt, the Greek jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou nailed his spikes at 8.41 meters and was proclaimed champion with a better second jump than Echevarría.
Massó first and then Echevarría suffered injuries during the event, and were unable to complete their six attempts, finding themselves obliged to settle for their best marks at 8.21 meters and 8.41, respectively.
Juan Miguel’s performance was good enough for the silver, since his second best result was 8.09 meters, while Tentoglou's was 8.15.
Luis Orta, Leuris Pupo & Yaimé Pérez climb the podium Yaimé Pérez won the bronze medal in the final of the women's discus throw, an event won by the Valarie Allman from the United States. Her best throw, in the opening round, soared for 65.72 meters.
In shooting, Leuris Pupo took the silver in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol, returning to the podium where he stood in London 2012, when he earned gold.
Meanwhile, Luis Orta, 60-kg division wrestler, won an Olympic gold medal, the first of the Cuban delegation. The Havana native paid no attention to the predictions and went out to defeat all the favorites, having the competition of his life.
It was a day full of good news for Cubans, and is only the beginning. Much more will arrive before the Games conclude.
