Cuban photographers Fabián Álvarez Gómez and Yaroyg Oños Gálvez won the gold medal in the Macro category and took home the silver in the Wide Angle modality at the CMAS 2024 World Underwater Photography Championship, held in Saranda, Albania.
According to the news portal Jit, Álvarez and Oños achieved this incredible result by outperforming competitors from 18 countries.
Oños, in charge of logistics, said: “The support of many compatriots, family, and friends is reflected in these results.”
A shared viewpoint by Álvarez from Camagüey, who is in charge of taking the photographs: “This is a team effort where nothing can go wrong in order to achieve competitive photos in such a high-level competition.”
In addition to their medals, the Cuban duo also achieved an impressive fifth place in the creative photo category.
The event, which was originally planned to take place in Vlore, was held in the crystal-clear waters of Saranda, a port city known for its beaches on the Albanian Riviera.
Luis López Bermúdez, methodologist at the Recreation Department of Inder, emphasized to the aforementioned news portal the quality of the Cuban team and their remarkable performance in the 2023 Varadero World Championship.
"We were confident that they would have a strong participation," López stated.
This championship is organized by the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS), an institution that promotes various underwater competitions and marine conservation since 1958.
The Confederation also promotes scientific research, as well as the conservation of the marine environment, and establishes safety standards and best practices for diving and other underwater activities.
In October 2023, the Cuban regime organized the 19th World Underwater Photography Championship in Varadero.
The official newspaper Girón highlighted the event as an achievement, even though it took place amid a deep energy crisis in the country, in a social context marked by food shortages, inflation, and rising poverty in Cuba.
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