Cuba currently stands in 41st place in the Olympic medal table of Paris thanks to the gold medal won by Mijaín López, which this Tuesday allowed the Caribbean delegation to advance suddenly after being in an unprecedented 66th position.
With five days left until the Olympics conclude, the Cuban delegation has only two medals: the gold from Mijaín and a bronze medal earned by Arlén López, although they have already secured some more titles, with the color still to be determined.
According to the prior forecasts from the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER), Cuba aimed to finish among the top 20 countries in the world at the end of the Olympics, with at least five gold medals.
It is a complicated goal right now considering that Julio César La Cruz, Idalys Ortiz, Luis Alberto Orta, and other athletes did not reach the expected level.
Among the most immediate possibilities is the final of boxer Erislandy Álvarez, who has secured silver and can aspire to gold.
Another possible gold medal is the one that wrestler Yusneylis Guzmán López (50 kg) could achieve, as she will compete for the gold medal in her discipline this Wednesday after her semifinal rival was disqualified due to weight issues.
This Tuesday also marked the start of the Cuban participation in canoeing, where Yarisleidis Cirilo and Yinnoly López qualified for the semifinal of the C2 at 500 m. Cirilo will also compete in the individual event, where she has a chance of winning a medal.
On the other hand, this Wednesday José Ramón Pelier advanced to the semifinals of the C1 at 1000 meters in canoeing.
The Cuban delegation to Paris 202424 has been smaller than since Tokyo 1964.
Only 62 athletes are competing for the island. However, 21 Cubans are competing for other countries, including two athletes who are part of the Olympic refugee team.
Such figures reveal the dramatic crisis of sports on the island in recent years, a reality deeply marked by the massive exodus of athletes to other countries and by the growing economic crisis.
The top five countries in the medal tally for Paris 2024 as of the closure of this note are the USA (24), China (22), Australia (15), France (13), and Great Britain (12).
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