The Cubans Fernando Dayán Jorge and Ramiro Mora Romero They were selected as the first Cubans to join the refugee team in the next Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held between the months of July and August.
The announcement was made this Thursday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its official channels.
In a publication where they shared an image of the 36 people selected for the great sporting event of the five rings, the United Nations Refugee Agency He also confirmed his support for the competition and his trip to the French capital.
For its part, the sports organization recalled that “in 2015, the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, announced the creation of a first Refugee Olympic Team, in response to the global refugee crisis.”
The selected Cubans will be present in canoeing and weightlifting.
Fernando Dayan Jorge Enriquez He began competing in international events in 2015. He finished sixth in his first Olympic Games at Rio 2016. In Tokyo 2020 he reached the top, winning a gold medal in the men's 1000 meters C-2 along with his compatriot Serguei Torres.
The Cienfuegos native left a training base in Mexico in March 2022. Something that his kayak partner, Fidel Vargas, imitated. In less than two weeks, both athletes managed to cross the border and set foot on American soil.
In the case of Ramiro Mora, is a Cuban weightlifter who holds multiple records in the 89 and 96 kg weight categories.
Mora landed in London from Havana as a circus trapeze artist in 2019. In 2023 he was proclaimed UK national weightlifting champion with a record included.
Among the reactions of both athletes, that of Fernando Dayán stands out, who thanked, through his Instagram profile, “for letting us dream.” While his countryman Mora was feted by the UK's national governing body for weightlifting sports, the British Weight Lifting.
According to Olympic Refugee Foundation, the team will be led by Masomah Ali Zada, as Head of Mission.
“The participation of the Refugee Olympic Team in the Olympic Games is not only a testament to their resilience and excellence, but also sends a powerful message of hope, belonging and inclusion,” they added.
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