Cuban boxer Loren Alfonso wins silver in Paris for Azerbaijan.

The Cuban boxer Loren Berto Alfonso won the silver medal in the 92 kg category for Azerbaijan at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Alfonso, who has been a prominent competitor throughout the tournament, could not overcome the Uzbek Lazizbek Mullojonov in the final, losing by a clear 5-0.

Despite Alfonso's efforts, his performance in the final was described as conservative compared to the aggression and dynamism displayed by Mullojonov, who appeared more active and comfortable in the ring.

This strategy resulted in a clear advantage for the Uzbek boxer, who was crowned champion in the 92 kg category.

The 29-year-old silver medalist had defeated Cuban Julio César La Cruz and his other compatriot, naturalized Spaniard Enmanuel Reyes, to reach the final, leaving them with bronze medals.

This is Alfonso's second Olympic medal, after his first achievement in the previous Olympic Games where he obtained the bronze medal.

Cuban boxing continues to be a dominant force on the Olympic stage. This time, unlike in previous competitions, many medalists from the island competed under other flags, highlighting the widespread crisis in the island that has forced its best athletes to become nationals of other countries.

Born in Havana, Loren Berto is one of more than 21 Cubans competing for other delegations in the Olympic Games.

The naturalized Azerbaijani already has an impressive record to show off with his adopted country. He achieved fifth place in 2019 at the World Championship in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in the 75-kilogram division. Later, he earned one of his most important medals when he won the Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2020, in the 81-kilogram category, after being defeated by fellow Cuban Arlen López.

In 2021, Loren Berto touched glory by becoming the world champion in the 86-kilogram category at the World Boxing Championship, a well-deserved reward for a journey that took him to the top after not having opportunities in the boxing scene of his home country.

The boxer from the Cuban school demonstrated his enormous talent and progress, as just a few months after winning the Olympic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, he achieved world glory in Serbia, a tournament where he firmly established himself in the world elite.

In the semifinals of the 2021 Boxing World Championship, he defeated his compatriot Herich Ruiz in a match where he made an emotional gesture of respect towards his opponent, the coaches, and the country that saw him born. At the end of the fight, he raised Herich's hand, went to the corner, and greeted the island's coaches, placing his hand on the flag on the chest of one of them.