The Cuban Iván Silva was eliminated from the judo tournament at the Olympic Games after an intense first match. In the Arena of Campo de Marte, the judoka from Matanzas was unable to implement his strategy against the Kyrgyz Erlan Cherov.
Silva and Cherov exchanged attacks from the beginning, but it was Cherov, the bronze medalist at the last world championship, who showed greater intensity. The referee cautioned both judokas, but Silva received a second penalty for lack of initiative.
The fight extended to the gold point, where Silva could not take the lead. The third warning meant his defeat.
"I couldn't take the initiative or secure better grips. My opponent was superior and attacked more," Silva admitted with disappointment.
Coach Julio Alderete expressed his surprise at his pupil's lack of reaction. "Iván usually maintains a good attacking rhythm, but today he was passive. We needed a more aggressive strategy," he said.
Alderete assessed that the result reflected the technical level of both judokas, who know each other well from previous confrontations. With Silva out, Cuba's hopes in judo are focused on Idalys Ortiz and Andy Granda, who will compete on August 2.
They have the responsibility of maintaining the Cuban tradition of winning at least one medal in judo in each of the last ten Olympic editions.
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