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The Cuban sprinter Reynier Mena continues to shine in the elite of world athletics, but he does so far from the colors of the Island. This Sunday, the Antillean dominated the 200 meters with authority in Stockholm, during one of the stops of the Diamond League, and secured a decisive victory that reaffirms his exceptional form.
Mena, who is currently competing for SL Benfica de Portugal, stopped the clock at 20.05 seconds, the best time of his season and the fourth best record of his entire career. In the stands, none other than Usain Bolt witnessed the race as the special guest of the event, a witness to the dominance of a Cuban who does not compete for his homeland.
Despite two false starts and the disqualification of the Canadian Aaron Brown, the sprinter from Marianao remained unflappable and dominated the track effortlessly, leaving behind the Liberian Joseph Fahnbulleh (20.32), ranked fifth in the world, and the American Kyree King (20.49).
At just 28 years old, Mena has reached a level of athletic maturity that is evident. “All the effort in training is paying off,” he stated after the race. “I have been improving in every competition, and I hope to break the 20-second mark soon. I must keep working hard and have faith in myself.”
This achievement marks the sixth victory in their last seven competitions, confirming their consistency at the elite level of international athletics. Their progression includes memorable records such as:
19.63 s in France (June 2022), Cuban national record.
19.95 in Poland (August 2022) and Savona (May 2023).
20.04 s in Lisbon (June 2022).
Furthermore, Mena is one of the five Cubans who have run under 10 seconds in the 100 meters, with a time of 9.99 seconds achieved in July 2022. Only four Caribbean athletes have been faster than him in history.
A decision that changed her life
Mena was once the great promise of Cuban athletics. In 2013, he won two bronze medals at the Under-18 World Championship (100 and 200 meters), and he believed his moment had arrived. However, the sports system of the Island could not sustain his growth.
“I started to worsen my times; I didn't have competitions abroad; in Cuba, who was I going to compete against if there is no one in sprinting?” he explained in a interview with CiberCuba in October 2022.
The lack of competition, support, and opportunities forced him to make a decision. “I found myself at a moment in my life where I had to make a choice, and I did. I officially requested my departure from the national team and went out to seek other opportunities.”
In December 2021, he left behind his family, his team, his country, and took a chance on himself. He settled in Portugal, trained rigorously, and just months later, he broke the 20-second barrier in the 200 meters, achieving a time of 19.63 that placed him among the 10 fastest men in history at that distance. Today, it stands as the 12th best world record of all time.
“If I were still in Cuba, I don’t know if I would have continued doing athletics,” she confessed. “Do you think it’s easy to leave everything behind, your people, your mother, your country? It’s extremely hard. But my results show that I made the right decision.”
In parallel with his achievements, Reynier Mena is in the process of officially representing Portugal. “My dream is to represent Portugal in the Olympics or a World Cup. Running is my passion. I am like an artist, but on a track,” he stated.
And he has proven it. At the Diamond League meet in Oslo on June 12, he shone again with a time of 20.20 seconds, defeating Swiss athlete Timothe Mumenthaler and Canadian Andre De Grasse, a seven-time Olympic medalist. Then, in Stockholm, he reaffirmed that he is among the greats.
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