The National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) of Cuba published a statement on behalf of the Olympic delegation this Sunday and appealed to the "dignity" and legacy of the late Fidel Castro, after falling far below their expectations for Paris 2024.
Published in JIT, the official site of INDER, the text states that it was not possible to "be among the top 20 in the medal table, but there was a fight for this goal in the midst of an Olympic cycle where sports did not escape the difficult economic situation the nation is experiencing."
As always happens when they fail to meet their goals, the regime claimed "satisfaction for having competed with dignity and adherence to values, inspired by the legacy of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro and the commitment to give everything in every outing."
In another display of its intertwining with politics, the sports organization stated that “it is an honor to highlight the congratulatory message issued by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz on the occasion of the crowning of our flag bearer Mijaín López, and the phone conversations held by the First Secretary of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, with the wrestler himself and other main figures involved in what happened here, where our diplomatic mission and the Casa Yo Soy Cuba in Tremblay-en-France also played a key role in becoming an open space for the truth about our country.”
He also did not forget to mention some of his worn-out excuses: "It is appropriate to state that even though the number is lower than that achieved for Tokyo 2020, when there were 69, having 61 qualified now was commendable for a country without the possibilities of the great powers and affected by the worsening of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government."
Regarding the competitive landscape, the statement highlighted the titles of Mijaín López and Erislandy Álvarez; the silver medal of Yusneylis Guzmán; and the bronze medals of Yarisleidis Cirilo, Arlen López, Luis Orta, Rafael Alba, Gabriel Rosillo, and Milaimy Marín.
He also congratulated -without naming- “those who were not part of that vanguard, but lived up to expectations, even with historically personal performances. And for undisputed glories like judoka Idalys Ortiz and boxer Julio César La Cruz, now sent off without medals.”
Weeks before the start of the summer event, INDER made it clear that the goal was to win five gold medals and finish among the top 25 nations, but none of this happened.
After achieving a total of two gold medals, one silver, and six bronze, the largest of the Antilles finished in 32nd place in the overall ranking, far from the 14th place reached three years ago in Tokyo 2020, when they had seven golds, three silvers, and five bronzes.
Likewise, it is the worst final position since Mexico 1968, when it finished in 31st place thanks to four silver medals in athletics and boxing.
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