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With the multi-award-winning wrestler Mijaín López as its standard-bearer, Cuba aims to secure five gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and finish among the top 25 nations in the final standings.
At a press conference held at the Coliseum of the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, José Antonio Miranda, director of High Performance at the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER), stated that "we have conducted the analyses and are aware that these goals must be achieved."
According to the digital page of JIT, the official site of INDER, Miranda stated that "the greatest responsibility for winning medals rests on 19 individuals," including champions under the five rings such as the aforementioned Greco-Roman wrestler López, boxers Julio César La Cruz and Arlen López, as well as judoka Idalys Ortiz, not to mention the reputation of shooter Leuris Pupo.
"They focus on the greatest potential, which is why they have received special attention," added the executive about a delegation that is expected to comprise around 75 participants across more than 10 sports disciplines.
So far, the nation has 37 athletes qualified for the Olympic Games, scheduled from July 26 to August 11. However, this number is expected to gradually increase, as there are another 44 contenders with chances in disciplines such as athletics, boxing, judo, swimming, and both indoor and beach volleyball.
In fact, the last to secure his ticket was table tennis player Andy Pereira, who achieved his goal the day before at the continental qualifiers held at the National Sports Village Videna in Lima, the capital of Peru.
In the final of his qualifying series, the individual runner-up of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games defeated Ecuador's Alberto Miño 4-2 (11-9, 2-11, 6-11, 11-9, 14-12, and 11-7), securing his third Olympic appearance after competing in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
However, fellow Cubans Fernando Dayán Jorge (canoeing) and Ramiro Mora Romero (weightlifting) were selected to join the refugee team for Paris 2024, following the review conducted by the International Olympic Committee.
Jorge began competing in international events in 2015. He finished sixth in his first Olympic Games in Rio 2016, but at Tokyo 2020, he reached the pinnacle of success by winning the gold medal in the men's C-2 1000 meters alongside his compatriot Serguei Torres.
The athlete from Cienfuegos left a training camp in Mexico in March 2022. This was something that his kayaking teammate, Fidel Vargas, also did. In less than two weeks, both athletes managed to cross the border and set foot on U.S. soil.
Mora, for his part, holds multiple records in the 89 and 96-kilogram categories.
Three years ago at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Cuba finished in fourteenth place in the medal standings, with a total of seven gold medals, three silver, and five bronze.
Regarding the Paralympics in the French city, scheduled from August 28 to September 8, the Greater Antilles currently has eight qualified athletes, although the final number is expected to be around 30 competitors. Athletes Omara Durand and Yankiel del Sol are among the most notable names in the delegation.
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