Cubans open with victory against the United States in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games.

Cuban players Jorge L. Alayo and Noslen Díaz achieved victory against the United States in beach volleyball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"It has been a great victory. We have come to demonstrate why we are here," said Alayo at the conclusion of the first match of that discipline, quoted the Cuban official newspaper Granma.

The Cubans started with a disadvantage in the score of the first set, but when they were at 16-11, they decided to change their strategy.

"We decided to switch to a more basic game, which ensured we had the ball without taking risks. This allowed us to control the match and gradually incorporate more complex plays," Díaz explained.

The Cuban duo faced the American pair consisting of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh, who had been invincible against the Caribbean players throughout the season, but they were able to defeat them at the crucial moment.

Alayo and Díaz scored eight consecutive points for a decisive lead of 19-11, after which the end of the set was easy with a score of 21-18.

In the second set, the serve and good positioning in defense by Noslen, along with Alayo's precise work at the net, made the dominance even greater. The set ended 21-18.

The Cubans played very close to the Eiffel Tower and in a stadium full of fans who recognized their achievement of climbing 15 positions in the world ranking in one year to secure a ticket to the Olympic event.

Brazil is the next challenge, in which the Cubans expect to arrive "with a cool head," they declared.

"We will think about what we did well and what didn't go as it should, because after any result we need to do it, it doesn't matter if we win or lose. Then, we will analyze the Brazilian duo, whom we know very well," they said.

In the morning session of this Saturday, Reidys Cardona also competed in the single scull rowing event, where he finished third in his heat and advanced to the quarter-finals.

For her part, her teammate, Yariulvis Cova, and the pistol shooter, Laina Pere, did not manage to advance to the second phase of their competitions.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games opened the night before in the French capital, which transformed into a stadium and an outdoor theater, where an incredible show was presented.

The opening ceremony, which has been described as ambitious, historic, and spectacular, marked a milestone as it was the first time it was held outside a stadium.

In one of the boats, Cuban canoeist Fernando Dayán Jorge was seen, who will compete on the refugee team in the Paris Olympics, despite the Cuban regime's demands for his immediate expulsion.

A total of 21 Cuban athletes will represent other delegations in the sports event, a figure that reflects the unstoppable exodus of athletes in recent years.

The boxer Julio César La Cruz was responsible for carrying the national flag of Cuba during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

La Cruz took the place of the wrestler Mijaín López, who has been the flag bearer on previous occasions, specified the pro-government newspaper Adelante.

It is expected that more than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will participate in the sporting event, where more than 300 events in 32 sports will be held, according to Infobae.