The Cuban delegation to the Paris Olympic Games announced this Tuesday that Mijaín López will not be the male flag bearer at the opening of the important sporting event, which begins this Friday, and that his place will be taken by the boxer Julio César La Cruz.
"The decision aims to avoid Mijaín's transfer to and from the Bulgarian city of Teteven, where the Greco-Roman style team he leads satisfactorily completes the preparations for the event where he will attempt the feat of being crowned at this level for the fifth time," a brief press release published on the sports portal JIT stated.
The statement adds that “this is a step forged as a result of exchanges with the athlete himself and his technical team,” in order to continue supporting their efforts and commitment to the result they aspire to.
According to statements made by Mijaín himself to Cuban television -quoted by the Efe agency- the athlete reportedly said that the decision was made in consensus with the coaches, the doctor, the physiotherapist, and the psychologist of his team, and that the goal is to concentrate from his arrival in Paris on the day of the competition.
"If that is the best, then we will wait for that day, fulfilling as we have until now, with everything indicated. It is a great sacrifice, but I take it on behalf of my people and with the support of my family," he said.
The four-time Olympic gold medalist admitted, however, that he would have "liked to go in the little boat on the river (Seine)."
Mijaín López's arrival in Paris is scheduled for August 4, and two days later he will have his first competition.
The surprising change of flag bearer less than a week before the Olympic event comes a few days after the closure of a lawsuit filed by a Cuban resident in Chile, who reported being attacked by Mijaín López and other members of the Cuban delegation at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
López will seek his fifth gold medal in the French capital, a feat not yet achieved in his discipline. The wrestler shone in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, and Tokyo 2020.
However, in its forecast of results for the Olympic event, the prestigious sports magazine Sports Illustrated predicted a bronze medal for the star Mijaín López in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Julio César la Cruz, the boxer of "Homeland and Life No"
Julio César la Cruz, the substitute for Mijaín López as flag bearer, is a double Olympic champion and a staunch supporter of the Cuban government.
In addition to his undeniable sports successes, Julio César la Cruz became celebrated in the eyes of the regime when, in late July 2021, just days after the massive protests in Cuba against the government, he shouted "Homeland and Life no, Homeland or Death, we will overcome!" after defeating the also Cuban - but Spanish nationalized - Enmanuel Reyes at the Tokyo Olympics.
In statements collected by JIT, La Cruz thanked Mijaín López for the opportunity to carry the flag, something he admitted was a dream for him.
Olympic champion of Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, La Cruz has already been the flag bearer for the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023 and the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, also in 2023.
Julio César La Cruz will accompany the other flag bearer of the Cuban delegation, judoka Idalys Ortiz, who, if she reaches the podium, would add her fifth medal after the gold she achieved in London 2012, the silvers in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and the bronze in Beijing 2008. She has also won eight medals in world championships.
Cuba aspires to win five gold medals at the Paris Olympics and finish among the top 25 nations in the final standings of Paris 2024, which will take place from July 26 to August 11.
In the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the island finished in fourteenth place, with a tally of seven gold medals, three silver medals, and five bronze medals.
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